That's Showbiz!
by ohxmyxria
Summary: KyokoXRen. Takes place on Kyoko's 18th birthday, exactly one year after Chapter 119. Mild Spoilers. Lemony goodness in Part 5! Part 12 now posted!
1. Part 1

_A/n: This story takes place a year after Chapter 119. So yes, that means spoilers! So… yeah. Enjoy my first lemony-fresh SkipBeat fic!_

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing.**

"Kyoko-san, can I see you in here for a minute?"

With a sigh, Kyoko Mogami placed her latest script back in her bag to follow her newest director into his office. Since her spot as Mio during Dark Moon, Kyoko had been getting a lot of offers. Granted, most of these offers were for dark, more "Mio-like" roles, but she had taken them all in stride. Soon, she found ways to tweak her role just in the slightest bit so each one stood out from the rest yet no one could complain. The directors called her a prodigy and eventually she had started getting completely different roles.

Like that one she had bagged just last week for instance.

In the her newest role she played Nakamura Nadeshiko, a first year student at an all-female boarding school. Nadeshiko -or Shi-chan as she was more commonly known as- was an adventurous, playful girl of 16. With long auburn hair and a never-ending smile, she was a very popular girl in her school.

This part had made Kyoko wince at first. She had never experienced this type of thing in real life, so she had nothing to base it off of. During her childhood, no other girls would speak to her, thanks to Shotaro. The girls at her acting school had not been much better, still holding a grudge since Kyoko was already in show business. Now in her 2nd year of high school herself, she was still looked down upon and had no friends there. So, basically, being popular was a very foreign thing to her.

Kyoko's face darkened. _Pretty, smart, fun. My character is the complete opposite of me. Why would the director even think of hiring me for such a spot?_ The first shooting she was to appear in would take place tomorrow. _I've never even been on set yet, and all my coworkers are still mysteries to me _-the movie was still in the developing stages so the director hadn't released any names yet- _so how can I know if this role is right for me? What if I mess up?_

Still, Kyoko was very excited for this job. She would be able to broaden her horizons this way. In this story, the heroine -Kyoko- was to fall in love with her 26-year-old teacher, Kimichi Touya. He is the newest, younger, and only male teacher. She is the class rep, volleyball captain, and most popular girl in class. _No wonder it causes such a scandal when they elope. _The teachers petition to fire Touya while the students completely shun Nadeshiko. Still, in the end, the couple overcomes all odds and marry.

Kyoko drifted into her dreamy phase. Her eyes widened as she saw the scene before her. _The beautiful Princess Nadeshiko lives happily ever after with her prince! The evil spells her classmates put on her all fade as she becomes even more beautiful then before._

Even now, Kyoko had not outgrown fairy tales. And who would want to? In fairy tales, the good guy wins, the bad guy is vanquished, and there will be a happily ever after. Isn't that what everyone wants? _Well, I'm not different._

Coming back to reality, Kyoko smiled brightly at the director, taking the seat opposite him.

-break-

_Who in there right mind would have the first rehearsal for their film on Christmas day_, Kyoko wondered as she plowed through the snow the following morning. Few people were brave enough to wonder the streets in such weather. The ones who did, however, were mostly couples. Well, this was a very romantic holiday, after all.

Ten minutes later, Kyoko found herself at the set of the movie, Daiboken. Crew members were scurrying about, many grumbling Kyoko's early sentiment, resenting the giving up of their holiday. Not sure where to go, she walked over to a female who seemed to be shouting orders.

"Um… Excuse me," she started, ducking her head. "I'm not sure where I should be right now. On, my name is Mogami Kyoko, by the way."

The woman's eyes lit up. "Oh! Mogami-san! We've been waiting for you! Allow me to thank you on behalf of Director Takashi. We were so pleased when you accepted the job. He knew no one other then you would fit the role." This made Kyoko blush. "And you don't know where to go? How silly of me! Let me take you to the dressing room. "

We want to start shooting right away since this is the perfect weather for the scene we are starting with," she explained as she led Kyoko along. They passed many of the crew, taking a turn into a well-lit hallway. Here, many doors were marked with names. These had to be the dressing rooms. But the woman was pulling Kyoko along too fast for her to read any names.

_They must all be newcomers, like me_, she realized. _Otherwise they wouldn't have placed me in such an important role. I mean, the lead, really!  
_

"The name's Matti Aya, by the way. Aya-chan, please," she added as she stopped in front of a door with Kyoko's name on it. "Now, we're going to try to do just three scenes today, what with it being Christmas and all. These scenes will be when Nadeshiko first meets Touya, when Nadeshiko catches a fever and Touya takes care of her, and when Nadeshiko tells her mother of her engagement. We'll break for lunch after the first scene, so don't stress too much. Oh, and you can meet your costars after you get changed." Now she shoved Kyoko into the room. Kyoko's head was still spinning from Aya-chan's fast speak and clearly Osakan accent.

Without missing a beat, Aya-chan led Kyoko to a curtain, instructing her to change behind it. "In the first scene, you'll be at school, obviously, so you'll wear the school uniform. We have you wig right here. Once that's on, your make up artist shall pop in." The loud woman took a deep breath then. "Well, that's all covered. I'll see you once you're done. And, once again, thank you for taking this job. Everyone is excited to see you in this! Good luck!"

Kyoko couldn't help but to chuckle a bit. Such a chipper woman.

She quickly undressed and donned the uniform. It was a cute outfit meant to play up the eyes. The cut was a sailor one but more subtle; one not often used but in public schools anymore. The skirt was a brilliant sapphire blue pleated style and very nice. However, it was short enough to make Kyoko nervous. Her own high school uniform went to just above her knees but this one ended mid thigh. She tried to pull it down more, but to no avail.

_I suppose this is supposed to emphasize the fact that my character is young and very cute_, Kyoko realized. With that in mind, she buttoned up the white dress shirt and shrugged the burgundy blazer on. She finished by tying the bow the same color as her skirt under her collar, yanking up her knee length socks and shoes, and fixing her cuffs.

Smiling as she twirled about, she was startled when someone knocked on the door. "H-hello?" She called, "who is it?"

A girl no older then herself peeked in. "Hello, Mogami-san. I'm here to help you with you wig and make up."

Kyoko thanked her and took the seat in front of the mirror. Half an hour later, Kyoko was completely done. Her wig consisted of lovely, brown locks that twisted and curled, falling to just bellow her elbows. Just a pinch of make up had been applied -"We are going for an innocent, school girl look," the girl had told her as she applied the lip-gloss- so she was still able recognize herself by the time she was finished.

"My," the girl cooed, clasping her hands together. "You look just amazing! So cute!"

Kyoko blushed, but thanked her all the same for the compliment. The two girls walked together out of the room, finding the main stage. There, many of the stage hands complimented Kyoko as well. She returned the praise by thanking them for working with her, shyly ducking her head.

"Ah! You must be Mogami Kyoko!"

She raised her head as the voice called her name. The voice belonged to a large man introduced himself as Director Takashi. He also thanked her for joining up with his production and promised her that this film would be fun to do. After a quick run over of the scene, he went off to round up minor characters that should appear in this act.

"Mogami-san!" Smiling shyly, Kyoko spotted Aya, who was waving her over from center stage. "So glad you're here. I want to introduce you to your lead male, the one who will be Touya. He's very excited to see you. You should have seen his face when he found out you'd be staring opposite him!"

Confused, Kyoko tilted her head to a side. Who would be excited to star in a movie wither her? She didn't know many other newcomers, and newcomers could hardly be excited to work with another newcomer. Maybe this guy was just excited to work with her after seeing her in Dark Moon. Lots of people would want to word with someone who worked on such a hit drama, even if it was a small part.

Aya chuckled at her confused expression. Then she turned her head, calling over her shoulder for someone.

Words could not express Kyoko's surprise when she recognized the face. Her eyes brows completely shot up. Then she started to blink rapidly, sure he was a mirage. Next she let out a wild gasp when she realized he wasn't disappearing.

Ren Tsuruga chucked. "Aren't you even going to greet me, Kyoko-san?"


	2. Part 2

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing.**

Still in shock, she let her jaw drop before muttering, "What are you doing here?"

He let a hurt look pass over his face, running his hand through his midnight black hair. "How rude. Aren't you even a little excited to see me?" Recovering, a small smile slipped over her face before she offered her hand to shake his. He obliged, smiling as well. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" He remarked offhand.

"It sure has, Tsuruga-kun." She let her bangs fall over her eyes as she whispered, "I've missed you."

He nodded, a kind look on his face. "I've missed you too. 7 months away from Japan? I don't know what I was thinking to take that job in Italy."

"But you're back now."

"Yes, I am. A lot has changed. You, for instance." Without warning, he slid his hand under her chin, lifting her face up to the light. "You've not only managed to become an actress to be reckoned with, but you've become very beautiful."

Her face turned red again. "It's just the make up."

"Are you so sure?" He released her, turning to a side, allowing Kyoko to spot his manager.

Yashiro waved and grabbed Kyoko is a light hug. "Kyoko-chan! It's been too long!"

She laughed, glad to be freed from such an awkward moment. "Oh, Yashiro-kun! What happened? You look like a lobster!" Truly, he did. The sun had not been kind enough to spare him in the least, it seemed.

He sighed. "I fell asleep in the sun last week. Not very smart. And Ren didn't even bother to wake me!" Yashiro whined.

Ren rolled his eyes. "How could I have known you weren't wearing sun block? With your fair skin, I thought you'd be on top of that sort of thing. You never forgot to remind me to wear it; shouldn't you have the same level of commitment for yourself?"

Kyoko giggled as they bickered. They got along as well as ever, clearly. It was actually very cute. They were like siblings. Most people never got to see this side of him. Ren was usually so poised and proper and serious. If he were ever to act like this in front of his fans, Kyoko knew their eyes would pop out of their heads. Everyone else only knew him as the composed, gentlemanly Ren Tsuruga. He was only himself when he was with Yashiro. Or Kyoko.

Turning away from Ren, Yashiro's eyes widened as he took in Kyoko's appearance. "You very cute in that outfit, Kyoko-chan."

She smiled as she ruffled her skirt. "Thank you very much." Out if the corner of her eye she saw Ren glare at Yashiro. This confused her but she choose not to remark on it. "Are you going to get in costume too, Tsuruga-kun?"

He looked at his watch. "I suppose I should if we want to get out of here at a reasonable time. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something." Ren shot a glance at Yashiro, who's eyes widened again as he fumbled with his hands.

"Um," the bespectacled man mumbled. "I -uh- should go get your dressing room ready. So you… uh… can…" His words mumbled off into nothingness as he quickly left the two alone.

Ren cleared his throat, forcing himself to look directly as Kyoko as he spoke. "Kyoko-san, you do remember what today is, don't you?"

She dropped her gaze to her shoes. Of course she knew, but she decided to play dumb rather then admit it. "Christmas?"

Ren took a step closer. Now he could literally smell her shampoo. Vanilla… "Of course, but it's special for another reason."

She shook her head. "There is nothing special about this day."

"Kyoko-san, you said it best to Maria last year: everyone should be able to enjoy their birthday." Kyoko said nothing in return, so he continued. "Even if this day holds little meaning to you, it's very important to me. After all, it's the day you were born. If not for today, I might never had gotten the chance to meet you." Quickly losing confidence due to her silence, Ren cleared his throat again. "Anyway, I wanted to know if you had plans tonight. If not, would you allow me to take you to dinner?"

"Please, Tsuruga-san. You don't have to do this," she whispered to her shoes.

"But I want to." He took her face in his hands again, cupping her cheeks. "So will you go to dinner with me or do I have to kidnap you?" He couldn't help but to notice how sad her eyes looked.

"I'll go."

"Good." He let her go, grinning. "Not I have something to look forward to tonight. Now, I'll go get changed. And Kyoko-san?" She followed his voice with her eyes. "_I'm_ very grateful you were born, at least. So try to cheer up." And then he walked off without another word.

-break-

Kyoko forced her gaze to stay firmly on her script as she heard squeal after squeal from the female crew members that could only mean Ren had finished changing. But this was easier said then done. She was strangely curious as to how he would look in the attire for the movie. He'd be attractive, sure, but it would be a different type of attractive. A more mature attactive.

As usual, she knew he would never be forced to die his hair or wear a wig. No director would dare to make him do anything drastic that would change his image. _Why mess with perfection? _Kyoko froze, in mid-turn of a page, as that thought flittered across her mind.

Honestly, she had no idea about anything anymore. When? When had she started to feel so strongly about Ren? When had it grown from resentment to respect to friendship to… this? And what was _this_? How did she feel about him now? Kyoko had searched into her heart long and hard and came up with nothing. She didn't even have anything to base it off of. What was this feeling? This radiant happiness underlined with this burning sadness.

The month Ren had been gone were hard on Kyoko. She couldn't help but to miss him -miss him more then any person had a right to. Moko had been the one forced to deal with "Mopey Kyoko", as Maria had dubbed her. At first, Kyoko couldn't stop thinking about him. She would wonder what he was doing, if he was having fun, and if he was eating properly. She would even try calling him, only to discover that his phone had been shut down. Then she would call Yashiro. But, of course, Yashiro had his number changed for the trip! And Kyoko felt too nervous to ask the higher ups at LME for his number.

Her next tactic, after two months of no contact from Ren at all, was to be angry with him. I mean, weren't they ate least friends? A friend had every right to worry over another friend. And that other friend shouldn't try to worry their friend in the first place! Shouldn't he have the common decency to call her every once and a while? Was it_ really_ too much to ask? During this time, everyone knew the words "Ren Tsuruga", "Italy", and "Phone" were beyond taboo; they were suicide.

Of course, Kyoko was too sad to really stay mad at Ren, especially when he sent her a beautiful post card explaining that he was so busy, he rarely even had time to sleep. This worried her at the same time as much it placated her to know he hadn't forgotten her. So then she was back into moping.

About four months into Ren's trip, jobs really started to line up for Kyoko. This was when her scenes of Dark Moon were re-aired and started getting call after call for dramas. She didn't have time to mope around anymore. So then she decided it best to just forget about Ren. She couldn't afford to be sad, and Ren had said this trip could last up to a whole year! So she kept herself busy so she wouldn't get too lonely.

And now he was back.

Ren actually hadn't changed too much. Still handsome. Still hard working. Still keeping everyone at arm's length. Yup, that was the Ren Tsuruga she knew.

But Ren was right; Kyoko_ had_ changed. With the load up of jobs she successfully completed, Kyoko had grown confidence in her skills as an actress. With the time away from Ren, she had to learn how to rely on herself more, though she always had Moko and Maria. Even her appearance had changed! Her hair had grown out a bit and was now shoulder length, though still auburn. And her face, once still a bit rounded from childhood, had now visibly matured. And… okay, she would never admit it aloud, but it was pretty obvious that her body had "matured" too. It was definitely a shock when she realized that her bras were about four sizes too small. Of course, she would never have the F-cup breast that Sho desired, but she could now proudly see she wasn't so flat anymore.

With a slight blush she wondered if Ren had noticed… Then, of course, she shook her head wildly, glaring daggers at her lines on the paper in her hands. No, of course he wouldn't notice. A man like Ren was sure to have woman throwing themselves all over him all day and night. Why in the world would he notice if his teenage mentee suddenly when up a few bra sizes? _If he ever was to look as a female that way, I'm sure his taste in girls would be no less then Sho's_, she realized grimly. She couldn't be sure why this revelation hurt her so much. _But, he does only deserve the best._

"Kyoko-chan!" She looked up to see Yashiro peeking over her script with a cocky smile. "So… I hear you have big plans for tonight." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah," she grumbled, hiding her pink face behind the script. She couldn't remember blushing this much ever before in her life, and now just look at her! She didn't like the control Ren could have over her in the least.

Yashiro looked disappointed. "You don't seem too happy about it."

She shrugged. "What's the big deal? Its just dinner between two colleagues." It felt as if she was trying to convince herself of this more then Yashiro. She repeated those words to herself in her mind again and again before speaking aloud. "I mean, its not as if Tsuruga-kun considers it anything like a date or something."

Yashiro adjusted his glasses awkwardly. "Well, how can you be so sure of that?"

_Oh, that was an easy one._ "Ren Tsuruga is the number one most desirable man in Japan, and has been for the past few years. If he did want to date, why would he bother with me?"

Kyoko had meant it to be a rhetorical question, so she walked away too soon to hear Yashiro whisper: "If only you knew, Kyoko-chan."


	3. Part 3

_A/n: I totally skipped the actual acting only because I wasn't sure how to work it in. Ehh. If I continue this story past Part 5 (my goal), then I may slip something like that in._

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing.**

"Okay, that was perfect everyone! We're done for the night. Pleasant holidays and safe driving!" The director called out before sending us all away.

Kyoko grinned, happy with the work they had covered today. The crew was wonderful and Kyoko was very happy with their director. He was a very nice man and conveyed a relaxed environment. It was very different then when she had worked on Dark Moon. Through the three scenes they had covered, only a few retakes had to be done so they ended up finishing pretty early.

Kyoko had just finished changing back into her regular clothes -a nice black shirt and a deep forest green turtle neck for Christmas- when she heard a knock on her door. "Coming!" She squeaked, dropping the brush she was using to fix her hair. She swung her messenger bag over her, stepping into her heels, and then pulled open the door.

Waiting there, with a smile and a single red rose, stood none other then Ren Tsuruga. His smile was infectious as he slipped the flower into her hand, spreading to Kyoko, even though smiling was the last thing she felt like doing. Walking side by the side, the twosome exited the dressing room area, walking to the parking lot behind the building. Unsurprisingly, Yashiro had conveniently disappeared, leaving them to themselves. As Kyoko climbed in the door Ren had opened for her, a thought came to her.

"Tsuruga-kun?" She asked timidly as he started the car. "Where are we going for dinner? It's Christmas. Won't most places be closed?"

"I hope you won't mind, but actually, I was planning on making dinner for you… at my place." Ren quickly looked over at Kyoko to assessing her reaction.

"Oh," Kyoko stated simply. There was a long pause. "I didn't know you could cook, Tsuruga-kun."

He sighed in relief. "I learned while I was abroad. Of course, I can't be as excellent a chief as you, and I can only make a few meals -most of them foreign- but I'd like to make you dinner. If you're still okay with it, that is."

The strange thing was she found it was more then okay with her. "Sure. I'm excited to see what you can make."

He smiled. "Okay, but I don't want you to have to help. I'm 25 now; I should at least be able to make one night's worth of decent food."

She laughed. "How about this: I'll only step in if you desperately need it. And I want to at least be able to help slice vegetables and such. Do you find that agreeable?"

After a second of thought, he nodded. "Very well, Kyoko-san. You drive a hard bargain, but it's a deal."

-break-

Kyoko couldn't help but to giggle.

Ren glared her way. "And what, may I ask, is so funny?"

She had to take a few more minutes before she could push enough air though her lungs to make recognizable sounds for words. "You… funny… apron!" She finally was able to spit out before succumbing to another bout of laughter. It was just too much! _Has he even seen how ridiculous he looks in it? The most desirable man in all of Japan in a frilly pink apron! I don't think I'll even be able to take him seriously ever again._

Ren turned away, his face slightly red. He was not used to people laughing at him. Everyone took him so seriously to the point it was embarrassing. But now, a teenage girl was almost rolling on the floor with laughter at him. _Did it really look that strange?_ He folded his arms across his chest, trying his best to look angry, but failing. He just couldn't muster up such an expression while Kyoko was reduced to tears of laughter. "Okay, okay. That's enough laughter at my expense," he finally spoke after a while.

"Sorry," she gasped out, holding her sides. She then straightened up, avoiding eye contact. If she looked at him, completely serious-faced in such a ridiculous apron, she knew she wouldn't be able to stop herself from going hysterical again.

As if able to sense this, Ren untied the apron. He rolled his eyes at the thing. _Maybe it was a bit much_, he realized. The only reason he had the thing was that Kyoko had left it here from the time she nursed him back to health while she worked as his daimane. Remembering this with a smile, Ren walked over to her. He didn't stop until he was behind her. Without a word, he slid the apron around her waist. He drew the ties in the back and began slowly tying the bow as if to prolong the moment.

Meanwhile, Kyoko was frozen. He was so very close! She could feel his breath on her neck as he fiddled with the tie. Kyoko felt like she couldn't breath when she felt his hand casually brush across her spine.

"There," he finally muttered, his voice a little rougher then usual. He turned her around so she was now facing him. With a sluggish pace he looked her over. "It looks better on you then it ever would on me."

Predictably, she blushed. Never had she seen such a look in his eyes. Like there were burning. And not in a "Prince Of Darkness" kind of way. Actually, she didn't have a proper way to explain it. It was just… powerful. And made her feel weak around the knees.

Eventually, Ren drifted back to the stove, turning it on with shaking hands. Once all the dials were set, he started taking out ingredients for pasta. He had made sure the day before that he had everything ready for tonight, though not even sure if she would agree to see him after not being able to really keep in contact these past seven months. But Yashiro was confident. At least one of them had to be.

"Can I help with anything?" Her quiet voice immediately drew Ren's full attention. He couldn't help but observe her all over again. She really had changed since he last saw her. But he was still as struck by her beauty as he had been before his trip to Italy. He was surprised to know that hadn't changed. He had thought his feelings would perhaps diminish, that maybe he could learn to be okay with just being her sempai. But it was impossible when he spotted her this morning to not stare and be mesmerized.

Yashiro insisted that tonight would be the perfect night to confess his feelings for her.

"You've just found out that the two of you will be staring together as a pair of lovers in a movie! It's a sign from heaven!" Yashiro had explained for the millionth time as he and Ren watched Kyoko confidently act out a scene with her "mother". "Look at her: she's truly blossomed, just as I said. This business makes girls grow up fast. And today she turns 18! It would only be more perfect if she was able to graduate, but it's still fine. Kyoko is a grown woman, so I won't let you make excuses anymore." Here he had glared at Ren fiercely, leaving the full grown man reduced to a small child. "Do you remember how miserable you were on our trip? I know you were thinking of Kyoko the whole time. So I won't let you give up. You love her, Ren. It's time you start acting like it!"

With this prompting, Ren took a chance and stayed with his plan. So now he was all alone with his childhood friend turned secret crush. _Actually, this all sounds like a movie I was once in._ The story of two teens who grew up together and eventually married, despite numerous obstacles. I can only hope our story takes a turn simpler to theirs.

With a tiny smile, Ren pointed to the lower cabinet. "If you wish, you can get out the spices and sauce."

She nodded and happily retrieved them.

Almost an hour later, the meal was ready.

"Wow!" Kyoko gasped as she observed the dinner Ren had prepared. He had only let her help by gathering things he needed and eventually washing dishes with him. The meal looked amazing. Lasagna with alfredo sauce, a tomato salad, and garlic bread, all by a man who, seven months ago, couldn't even make soup. With a proud grin, Kyoko praised Ren again. "This really is amazing, Tsuruga-kun. I can't believe you went through so much trouble for my birthday."

He returned her smile, pushing out her chair for her and then pushing her back in. "I was glad to do it. For once, you deserve to be treated." He fell into his own seat directly across from her. "But who knows? It could be horrible. I guess we should try it first, huh?"

The twosome, however, found nothing bad to say about the meal. It really was amazing. Even Ren was surprised by how well it came out. When he had practiced abroad, something bad always happened. Burn something or another else over spiced sauce. But nothing went wrong tonight.

"You really are amazing, Tsuruga-kun," Kyoko said again, dropping her napkin to her plate. She stood up, gathering both plates and took them to the sink to wash. Ren followed her, taking the sponge from her before she could start washing the plates. She rolled her eyes and found the towel to dry the plates off instead. "It's such a change from before. I guess you won't need me around, now that you can cook."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth she regretted them. Why would she say something so careless? Of course Ren would still want her around, even though she could cook. But then… for what? Why would he ever need someone like her around? She looked away as tears appeared in her eyes. Maybe he had gotten himself taught how to cook for the sole purpose of being rid of her! Why else would Ren need such a talent?

Ren nearly dropped the plate he was washing at that. "N-no. There are plenty of things I can't cook yet. I mean, you could still come over if you wanted to treat me to dinner. Or I could treat you to dinner. Actually, it doesn't even have to be dinner. Breakfast or lunch work fine too," he quickly added, though for whose benefit he wasn't sure. He had never thought of this as a side effect of having learned how to cook. He just wanted to do something nice for Kyoko! He hadn't meant to try to say he didn't need her anymore!

Desperate, Ren pulled Kyoko away from the sink. She was still crying, silent tears sliding down her face. And he couldn't stand it! "Please, Kyoko-san. Don't cry. I never meant to upset you. I don't want you to go away. I still do need you."

Ren became blurred before her eyes as she continued to cry. "W-what could you possibly need me for? I'm just a bumbling girl who gets in the way and isn't good at anything," Kyoko blubbered.

He shook his head, unable to believe she could say such things. "That isn't true. You can cook. You're a wonderful actress. You're a smart student. Kyoko-san, you're good at a lot of things, so don't you ever say that again." Oh god, he just wanted her to stop crying! He couldn't stand to see this. So then he did something rash.

He kissed her.


	4. Part 4

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing.**

Kyoko's reaction was immediate and predictable.

She kissed him back.

Suddenly, she was so_ there_. Her petite frame was pushed against Ren's, chest-to-chest contact. But she still needed more. Her tiny arms locked around Ren's neck, forcing him to bend lower to her height, keeping their lips glued together. More. Her fingers tangled in his hair, twisting, curling, wrapping about. More!

In the instant Kyoko had kissed him back, all sense flew out the window for Ren. Nothing mattered anymore. He didn't care that Kyoko was four years younger then himself. He didn't care that he was a more senior member of LME, almost her mentor in some aspects. He didn't care what a scandal it would cause if the world found out they were kissing, nor the wrecking ball it would be to his perfect image. And he definitely didn't care that Kyoko was still a high school student. _This_ was all that mattered...

That is, until he felt himself invade her tiny mouth.

That was when the hazed, frenzy of his mind cleared and everything clicked. A thousand and one reasons why he shouldn't be doing this flashed across his mind. _This is wrong. So very wrong. Here I am basically taking advantage of my childhood friend, my mentee._ He knew this had to stop. He realized in the back of his mind that she was caught up in the moment - a moment he had caused due to a temporary lapse of judgment. _Kyoko doesn't care for me this way. This is merely me forcing my feelings onto her. Kyoko doesn't deserve this._ So he did the only thing he could:

He pulled away.

With her mouth no longer on his, Kyoko too came to her senses. _Oh god! _She covered her hand to her mouth in horror, eyes wide as saucers, realizing what had just occurred. She took two steps back, taking herself away from further temptation. _Oh no. Oh no, oh no! This cannot be happening! _She was on the verge of tears again._ I didn't… did I? Oh god, I did! I attacked Ren Tsuruga!_

In a fit of shame, Ren turned his head away, not able to see Kyoko's shocked expression anymore. _Did she consider that sexual harassment? Is she still in shock that _the_ Ren Tsuruga would do such a thing? Will she be angry later on, perhaps even enough to end this friendship?_ These questions were all too much for Ren, so he blocked them out, hiding behind him cool, empty-faced façade he had worn for so long.

"Kyoko-san?" he started. But then he stopped. Really what could he say? 'I'm sorry I just tried to force myself on you, let's pretend it never happened?' It sounded stupid even in his head. So he snapped his mouth shut again, glaring to a side, away from her.

_How could I do something so stupid?_ He chastised himself, resisting the urge to slam his head into the nearest wall. _Why couldn't I just be freakin' content with being her friend, someone important to her? Oh no, that could never be enough for Ren Tsuruga, with his giant ego. Oh no, he had to do something so stupid as to force a kiss from her for his own pleasure. God, she must think I'm such a monster…_

The silence held, neither party wishing to be the one to break it. Minutes passed. Still, no one had uttered a sound. But they both knew someone had to.

Ren was the brave one. He cleared his throat, no longer able to stand the quiet. "Kyoko-san? I… I just don't know what to say, honestly," he admitted. "That… -er- … well. It was a mistake." She knew he was going to say something like that but the knowledge didn't make it hurt any less. It was as if he had just plunged a knife in her back. "And… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let that get so out of hand." And now he was twisting the knife about!

_Is he trying to kill me?_ To hide her hurt, Kyoko spun on the spot, now speaking to the wall. "I understand, Tsuruga-kun. It was… a mistake." Anyone could hear the sadness in her frail voice.

_Is she crying? Did I hurt her?_ Panicked, Ren grabbed her shoulder and turned her so she was facing him. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to hurt you-"

"Get off me," she snapped, slapping his arm away. "If you didn't feel the same way, you could have just said so."

Now Ren was utterly confused. "What?"

"You heard me," she hissed, a slight red to her cheeks._ I can't believe I let this happen to me again. How could I be so foolish as to fall for him? I should have known it would end like this._ "I won't say it again. Urgh! This is impossible. I'm leaving."

But he caught her arm as she started to stomp away. _She couldn't mean… could she?_ Understanding blazed in his eyes. "Wait. Stay. We need to talk."

"There is nothing to talk about!" _All men are the same. I was so deluded to think Ren was any different from Shotaro. _Hard as she tried, Kyoko couldn't make herself stop crying. She rubbed her eyes with her free hand. "Please, Tsuruga-kun. I get it. You don't think of me that way. Fine. Can I just go home?"

Roughly, he dragged Kyoko closer, pinning her to the wall in his refusal to let her go. He pressed his body to hers with light pressure; just enough for her to feel proof that he had her cornered. They both knew she didn't have a chance to escape now; Ren was several time taller then Kyoko and much stronger. Now she had little choice but to stay.

"Kyoko-san, don't you ever think that." He bore into her with his eyes intensely. "Never. The fact is… I _do_ think of you that way. I have for a while. So that isn't why this won't work." _This isn't the way I picture finally confessing my feelings to her, but maybe it's better this way._ He placed his hands flat against the wall, each on a side of Kyoko's face as he leaned in. Now their foreheads were almost touching. "Do you realize that you're still in high school? This just… it's can be between us, Kyoko-san. And I'm sorry for that."

_What? What did he mean by that?_ It was Kyoko's turn to be confused.

Then something clicked in Kyoko's head. The conversation she had had with Ren as Bo last year. He had told her that he loved a girl, but she was in high school so he didn't think they could be together. The age difference was four years, had made him a bit uneasy. Now she saw. She was the girl Ren had been talking about! So then… all this time…

Kyoko dropped her gaze to her shoes. "I'm 18. You do know that the age of consent is 16, right? Technically… there is nothing wrong with us being together." Saying these words left her rather embarrassed. _How can I honestly be proposing a relationship with Ren Tsuruga?_

He ran a hand through his hair. "It isn't possible, Kyoko-san. You and I both know this." _No matter how much I wish it wasn't true._

"You aren't even willing to try?"

"It's not a question of if I want to try. God knows I do-"

_If I'm going to this, I'm going to do it right_, she promised herself, a fierce glint in her eyes. "Then prove it." She hardly gave him a chance to reply before she jumped on the tips of her toes to crush her lips to his once again.

If Ren had had any questions as to Kyoko's feelings for him, this kiss blew them out of the water. She did care for him in the same way Ren had cared for her for many months. _But that does not change facts that she is still a high school student._ Ren knew he should gently push her away, that he should try again to tell her why this could never be, but…

_Oh, the hell with it_. He locked his arms around her tiny waist, relishing in the feel of it, pressing her against the wall for support. How he had longed to hold her like this, to feel her like this, to kiss her like this. It felt… heavenly. Her soft, supple lips adding pressure against his mouth. And he could taste her. _Nothing could compare to the way she tastes. _

Needing to taste more of her, he lifted her in his arms. She hardly weighed a thing. Now, almost a full foot in the air, Kyoko pulled her arms around his neck once more, desperate to never let go. She needed him. He needed her. It could only amaze the pair further that they could be so stubborn as to fight what they had felt for so long. This just felt… _right_, to both Kyoko and Ren.

With a sigh, Kyoko melted into Ren's chest with her back still touching the wall, slowly letting her mouth slip from his. She then laid her head to his chest, enjoying how his heart raced just as fast as hers. Ren dripped his head to the spot between her neck and shoulder blade, lightly kissing the sensitive skin there. With this prompting, she let out a small moan. No man had ever touched her like this! _Ren… oh. What is he doing to me? _He was driving her crazy.

"Kyoko…" he whispered, just barely lifting his mouth from her skin to speak. "We… can't…" But he made not motion to stop are his fingers ran circles into her side.

She dug her fingers into his shirt for dear life, just barely holding in her squeals. His touch… oh, how did he know just how to touch her? She forced just enough air out of her lungs to whisper, "Please…" It came out as a throaty sound.

And that was when all restraint went out the window.


	5. Part 5

_A/n: Sorry for the lack of update yesterday. I wanted this chapter to come out just right. This is my first lemon, after all. Please, review if you want me to continue this story farther. I do have ideas… _

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing.**

Suddenly, Ren's hands were running up and down Kyoko's sides feverishly. Rubbing, stroking, tickling as they went. And as this escalated, Kyoko couldn't control her moans anymore. These sounds, seductive and lustful, sent Ren into a haze. Each little whimper sent foreign chills up his spine. Subconsciously, Ren knew they were headed down the path of no return, but he also knew they he would sooner saw off his own leg then to stop now.

He _couldn't _stop now. Things had gone too far. There was no turning back for the two of them.

Ren then ran his fingers along her perfectly flat stomach, the green top acting a barrier. This action was just as sensual as it was romantic to Kyoko. She unlatched her hands from Ren's shirt to run them up his muscular chest. Now it was Ren's turn to moan, his a deeper, more animalistic sound. Yet she found it as attractive as Ren had found hers. Wanting to hear it again, Kyoko traced along his breastplate, between his pecs, then back up again in a painfully slow motion. It was torture to Ren. Sweet, seductive torture.

_Two can play that game._ With deliberate slowness as well, Ren lowered his fingers on her tummy. She gasped as they strummed along the top of her skirt. However, instead of going lower, Ren slid his fingers back to her stomach, but this time under the shirt.

His warm hand on her skin sent her into a frenzy of passion. Kyoko couldn't even concentrate on her own devices. Ren's hand was all there was in the world. And, oh, what a beautiful world it was.

Pleased with Kyoko's reaction, Ren let his hand explore further north. Her skin was impossibly smooth and warm and taut. And… sexy. He couldn't but to picture what it would look like bare before his eyes. His fantasies were interrupted then, however. For his hands had discovered something in their path. Curious, Ren let his hand run around the edge of the obstruction. Rounded and supple… He roamed over it, finding it to be entrancingly soft, though seemingly clothed. He followed along the cloth, discovering that it was absent in the center of her chest where the mound dipped back down and a second one began.

All during the time Ren explored her chest area, Kyoko whimpered. Her arms were once again around his neck, though this time to prevent herself for falling to the floor. His touch was making her knees go weak and she wasn't sure how much longer she could take it. Kyoko became dimly aware that her underwear were now soaked. God, she just wanted him to take her already.

This thought, while completely new to Kyoko, only seemed natural. She _wanted_ Ren. She wanted him to touch her more and more. She wanted him to see her without clothing. She wanted him _inside_ her.

Kyoko leaned her head so she was right beside his ear. "Glad to see you appreciate how my body has changed in the past months. I didn't think you'd ever notice."

Cupping her breast with the utmost gentleness, he replied huskily, "Trust me; I noticed." Ren covered her moan with his mouth, kissing her fiercely. Now, he didn't hesitate to invade her mouth, letting his tongue stroke her own. He knew what he wanted. Kyoko's tongue swirled around to meet his. They twisted about briefly before Ren claimed dominance. So Kyoko pulled back and let him search her mouth. She lost herself in the kiss, thinking of other ways she wanted him to enter her.

Ren hoisted Kyoko my securely in his arms. She, in turn, crossed her legs around his waist. He knew what he wanted, and he was determined. He carried the young woman along with him, not daring to lose her mouth on his, making his way to his room. Almost dramatically, he kicked the door to open it.

Ren bypassed the light switch, preferring to just go straight for the bed. He lowered Kyoko to the edge, their mouths finally coming apart. After a few well needed breaths, Kyoko took in their current surroundings.

Ren's room was just a clean as to be expected. Not a single thing was out of place; clothes folded away or hung in his closet neatly. Everything arranged smartly, nothing littering his floor. The bed was even made. Actually, it was more like ghost room. It didn't really seem like anyone lived there. And that was true for the most part. Ren was never really home before his trip to Italy anyway -especially not in this room unless sleeping- to make messes and such.

Kyoko let her eyes fall on Ren again. He was hovering over her, his hands on either side of her, his hair falling into his face. Kyoko ran her hand over his cheeks before sweeping his hair back. His return smile was dazzling.

"Kyoko," he began in a low voice. He gestured to the bed. "Are you okay with this? I don't want to do anything you're against."

_If only he knew how much I want this too. _Kyoko bounded forward, peeking her lips to his for a split second, pulling back with a grin and licking her lips.

Ren wasn't about to let her get away with that. Smirking, Ren towered over her for a minute before catching her lips to his again. He used his body to gently lower her on the bed, lying flat out with Ren above her. The position was very compromising.

Ren strummed his fingers along the raised part of her shirt that allowed a bit of her flesh to be seen. She giggled. Then, the giggle turned into a gasp as Ren pushed her shirt up to reveal all of her stomach. He looked up at her, his eyes questioning, to which she nodded, lifting herself up. With her permission, Ren slipped the shirt off over her head, flicking it onto the floor. This was the first mess Ren's room had seen in years, and it was a well-welcomed mess.

Kyoko had to chuckle again as she took in his expression. This was, perhaps, the closest anyone had ever seen_ the_ Ren Tsuruga to looking flustered. He was staring at her, frozen it seemed. His eyes were wide as he swallowed the view for the first time, his mouth slightly ajar.

Kyoko reached with one of her hands to close his mouth. "Don't want to catch flies."

Ren finally snapped out of it. "You're so beautiful." Her face flushed a bit.

Kyoko slid backwards on the bed, making room for Ren to crawl in over her. He obliged after taking off Kyoko's slippers and kicking off his own. He propped himself up on his elbows, placing his lips on hers again. She ran her hands up his forearms, enjoying the way he shivered.

Ren detached his mouth from hers, now kissing a trail of butterfly kisses down her cheek. Down her neck. Down her breastplate. And finally the trail led between the valley of her breasts. She moaned as he took his time here, eventually running his tongue around the plunging top section of her bra. Naturally, she was disappointed when he continued on his quest down her body. But her disappointment departed when he licked around her navel.

"Tsuruga-kun…" she groaned.

"Call me by my first name, Kyoko." He kept up his pace, swirling about as she writhed underneath him. He dipped down further, now kissing and sucking on the sensitive skin there.

"R-ren!" She managed to gasp out, her small fists clenching the sheets below her in tangles. "Oh, Ren. Ren." She continued calling out his name, her tone unintentionally sensual. His name felt _so_ good on her lips.

"Oh god. When you say my name like that…" Over and over he kissed her on her bellybutton, her voice driving him crazy with lust. He held her in place by her hips as she wiggled about. She kept calling out his name. This made him want to hear her _scream_ it. Feeling daring, he slid one of his hands from her hip, stroking up and down her thigh through the material that covered it. Her moans increased in volume; he took this as a sign he was doing this right. Now he came to the flared end of her skirt. It was generous, flowing to her knees. Now, wanting to see more of her skin, he pulled the skirt up to an obscenely short length.

Once again, he was struck by the smoothness of her skin. His own skin felt rough in comparison as he placed his palm on the newly bare flesh. _Such fair skin._ She truly was a proper Kyoto woman, with skin like freshly fallen snow and the beauty of an angel. "Beautiful," he muttered, placing a kiss on her upper thigh.

Kyoko bit her lower lip as Ren stroked her so gently. She wanted him so bad that his touch -while so welcomed- was still slow torture. "Please Ren," she whined, no longer able to stay quiet.

Of course, how could Ren deny her while she pouted with such a face? He turned slightly so he was no on his, facing Kyoko, with his hand still on her thigh. As his hand slid up her skirt, he kissed her again. This time his kiss was chaste, merely pressing his lips to hers. A sweet kiss.

Kyoko sighed into the kiss as Ren moved along the edge of her panties, licking along his mouth. It pleased him immensely to find how he had turned her on, the soaked garment as proof; his pants had begun to tent as soon as Kyoko had moaned his name. At least they were both on the same page. They both wanted this. This knowledge helped him make the next move.

He stuck a finger into her panties, right into her opening, making her squeak aloud.

As he teased her, Kyoko bit on his lip. The things he was doing to her! A strange tingle in the bottom of her stomach made her vastly aware of how much she needed him. He was the only man who made he feel like this, who could make her want them like this. She released his lip to moan again as a second finger joined the first. It felt so tight, but in a wonderful way. Soon a third finger joined them.

Trying to keep herself sane, Kyoko ran her hands over Ren's shirt again, unbuttoning as she went. As more of his chest was exposed, she could feel Ren moving fasting in his motions. This prompted her to finish her task as quickly as possible. Eventually, she ran out of buttons. Ren shrugged his shoulders, helping her remove his shirt, which joined hers on the floor. Kyoko groaned in protest as she felt him leave her. He silenced her with another kiss.

"Kyoko, I want to make sure one last time: are you positive you want this."

She nodded. "More then anything I've ever wanted before."

That was all he needed. Quick as a flash, Kyoko's skirt and Ren's slacks joined the pile of clothing on the floor. She barely had time to admire his sculpted body and legs ending in a pair of black, silk boxers before he slid a hand behind her back, lifting her torso her up against his chest. His hands fiddled with the clasped of her bra, warm and seductive. Once it was unhooked, he laid her back down. He grabbed the center area between the cups, lifting the covering from her chest. She raised her arms, letting the garment be tossed aside.

Ren noted the pearly skin that had been hidden from him briefly before dropping his mouth to the left mound. Kyoko scratched lightly on his chest as he sucked, taking the bud in his mouth. Meanwhile, his hand that was not holding him up occupied the unappreciated breast, cupping the bottom before circling the tip. Her turned on state was ever more obvious now; she could cut glass with her nipples so hard. After a while he switched, taking the right in his teeth while his hand stroked the left. He kept up the abuse for many agonizing minute, Kyoko being left as a puddle throughout the ordeal.

When he did let up, he could only stare at Kyoko. _She's so gorgeous._ "I love you, Kyoko," he admitted, running his hand along her cheek. "I think I have loved you for a very long time. When I was in Italy, you were all I thought of. Only you. You're all I ever think of."

Kyoko felt her eyes water. "Oh Ren… I love you, too. I… I had tried to deny it for so long. I was so confused. I knew what I had to feel for you, but it was so different then anything I'd ever felt before. It was different then what I felt for Shotaro…" Kyoko wiped at her eyes. "I know why now: because I love you more then I could ever have loved him. I love you more then I could ever love anyone." She stole another kiss, wanting to convey everything she felt for him in that kiss. With all her passion, it still could not properly express how much she loved him. Only one thing could. She pulled away to speak again. "I love you, Ren. And I want you. Only you."

These words were heaven to Ren. To love someone -to want them more then life itself- and know they felt the same way… it was the best feeling in the world. _Or maybe second best_, he decided as he reveled in her state of undress. "I want you, too, Kyoko."

Soon after, the last of their clothes were carelessly sent away as their whole bodies connected for the first time. They fit together like a puzzle. It was near impossible to tell where one ended and the other began. This was the way it was supposed to be.

In one swift motion, Ren entered her. She was tight, predictably. Her scream as her barrier was broken was muffled by his mouth. It stung Ren deeply to know he hurt her, despite how unintentional and unavoidable it was. He kissed her again and again, promising her it would be all right and reminding her how much he loved her. After a while, Kyoko told him he could move again once she had adjusted to his size. Slowly, he rocked his hips, sliding in and out of her. She easily kept up with his pace, basking in his warmth as they moved together as a unit. He used his arms to hold her closer to his body, relishing in his love for her. She was his everything now.

Time meant nothing to them now. Minutes, hours, days, weeks. Nothing. It was as if they were immune to the world going on around them, trapped in a cloud of ecstasy. This was all that mattered; this moment. The moment that their love was consummated.

He could sense she was already close to her first orgasm. This excited him. _He_ was making her this way. _He_ was doing this to her. Faster, faster, he went until she was screaming his name, clawing at the sheets under her. Kyoko's whole body shook as she came. Ren continued pumping into her; the way Kyoko had yelled his name was having the expected response from him. Not too long after, he followed.

Spent, he collapsed, dropping to his side next to Kyoko. She immediately curled into his embrace. Her warmth beside him was enough to lull him into a peaceful sleep quickly. He whispered his love for her one last time before drifting off.

Kyoko, however, stayed awake. She ran her hands over his chest, counting the muscles she encountered, paving a path between them. For the millionth time that night, Kyoko realized how lucky she was to have met Ren.

Soon, sleep began to overcome her, too. Kyoko ran her fingers through Ren's hair again as she yanked the covers over the pair of them. "I love you more then anything and everything," she mumbled, kissing the center of his chest. How easy those words came to her! When she had first became an actress, her heart was full of anger and betrayal. Falling in love was the last thing she had in mind, least of all with Ren Tsuruga. But now, looking into his face, she knew she couldn't stand the thought of ever living without him. To even try would kill her, for sure. _What a change._

It's amazing how one night can utterly change your life. But oh well.

That's showbiz for ya.


	6. Part 6

_A/n: Little bonus thing. I'm actually considering continuing. We'll see._

_On a random side note, I absolutely adore catchphrases. For Card Captor Sakura's Sakura, it was "hoeee!". For Chichiri of Fushigi Yuugi, it was "no da!". And, for Moko of Skip Beat, it's "mo!". Love that!_

**Disclaimer: I Still Own Nothing.**

**Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt.**

_What could that annoying buzzing be? _Ren half opened one eye. The sun was just barely up, a pink twinge peeking in from the blinds. Ren was just about to close his eyes again when the sound started up again. Sighing, he started to slide out of bed, only to spot a tuff of auburn hair just visible from under the covers. Curious, he drew the covers back.

A wide smile spread over his face as Kyoko's sleeping face came into view. _So it wasn't a dream then. Thank goodness._ He leaned over, kissing her forehead.

**Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt.**

_What _is_ that sound?_ Straightening up, Ren realized the sound was coming from near by. He scrambled out of bed, he yanked on a pair of pajama pants from the top drawer. The buzzing continued still. Looking down, he found that the buzzing was coming from his discarded pants_. Of course! My phone is still on vibrate from the shooting_. He quickly retrieved it, hoping the buzzing didn't wake Kyoko.

Casually, he flipped open the screen. There were six missed calls, all from Yashiro. He supposed it had to be important for him to call so many times. He walked out of the room, pressing the call back button.

Yashiro picked up on the first ring. "Ren-kun! I call you a bunch of times! Didn't I tell you to keep your phone with you at all times?"

Ren rolled his eyes as he started a pot of coffee. "I'm sorry. Then again, who calls someone six times before 7 o'clock?" He questioned as the water began to heat up. "What is the dire emergency?"

Yashiro could be heard clicking his tongue. "What do you think? You and Kyoko-chan had dinner, right? As a good friend, I'm calling to ask how it went!"

Ren froze. Was this really something he could tell Yashiro? Maybe Kyoko wanted to keep it private. If that was the case, then she would be mad at him for telling anyone. So then, should he wait to tell Yashiro until he had talked with Kyoko?

As if summoned, Kyoko chose that moment to wander into the room. Ren could only smile at how adorable she looked in his shirt. She ran a hand through her hair while stifling a yawn. "Morning," she whispered as she tiptoed to his side. Kyoko bounded forward, placing a kiss on his cheek. "Who are you talking to?"

Ren held the phone away from his ear, placing a hand over it. "Yashiro. He was calling to ask how our dinner went." He chuckled as she blushed. "My point exactly. Should I tell him or not?"

Kyoko pondered that briefly before giving up. "We can't not tell him. He's your manager and friend. I think he should know. Besides, I think he'd find out eventually." She was then interrupted by the ringing of her own phone back in the bedroom. She excused herself to answer it, calling out, "Go ahead and tell him."

Ren nodded, lifting the phone back to his ear. However, he pulled it away almost immediately. Yashiro, not taken with being ignored, was shouting loudly at him. "Yashiro! Yashiro, calm down, I'm back."

"So nice to know you're gracing me worthy of talking to," the older man shot back acidly. "I call you, like a good friend, to ask how your dinner went and ignorance is what I get? I, who dealt with your depressing behavior for seven months? I, who encouraged you to invite her to dinner? I feel so unappreciated-"

"And I'm really grateful I have a friend like you, Yashiro," Ren interrupted quickly. "Do you want to know how the dinner went or not?"

Yashiro huffed aloud but answered, "Yes."

"Good, then give me a chance speak before Kyoko gets back in here."

"Kyoko-chan? She's there?!" You could almost hear his eyes popping out of his head.

Ren chuckled. "Let me start at the beginning…"

Meanwhile, Kyoko was dealing with her own irate friend. "Moko-chan, I really am sorry."

"Sorry?" The dark-haired woman answered, her tone as sharp as usual. "You're the one who told _me_ you wanted to spend Christmas with my family! So I go along with it, agreeing to spend the holiday with_ them_" -she spat out the word- "for the first time in years. I thought, 'Oh, it'll be okay! I'll have a friend with me!' So I head over to the house, expecting to meet you there, and, what do you know?! _You're not there!_ Do you realize what you did to me, mo!"

Kyoko winced as her friend ranted on, sometimes speaking rationally, other time yelling fiercely. Almost every other sentence ended in 'mo'; this, Kyoko remembered, was a habit the actress only did when really aggravated. _Oh wow, how could I forget about that I was supposed to go over to her family's house?_ Kyoko ran her hands along the buttons of Ren's shirt, her guilt over coming her. _True, I was rather distracted with the return of Ren, but to have abandoned my best friend?_

When Moko took a second between telling Kyoko what an airhead she was to catch her breath, Kyoko took the chance to intercede. "Moko-chan! I really am sorry! But I swear, I had a valid excuse!"

"Oh, really?" She sounded skeptical. "And what would this golden clad excuse be? One that would warrant abandoning your best friend and forcing them to spend a solid 16 hours with a bunch of bratty, nosy kids? Not to mention the best friend's annoying siblings-"

"Tsuruga Ren came back to Japan!"

There was a pause. "Really?"

"Yes, you know that movie I'm doing? Daiboken? Well, he's my costar. I met up with him on set. I was so surprised!" _It was the best birthday gift I could have asked for. _"He asked me to have dinner with him," Kyoko added, leaving out the part about it being her birthday. Her birthday had never been anything important enough to celebrate, so she had never bothered to tell her friends when it was. _Well, now I think I have a pretty wonderful reason to mark that day on my calendar_, she realized with a giggle.

"He did?" Kyoko was relieved to hear Moko didn't sound as upset anymore. "Wow."

"Yeah, I know."

"So… how was it? What happened? Give me the play-by-play, and don't leave out any details." It was amazing how quickly she could shift from annoyed friend to gossiping gal pal.

"It was wonderful, Moko-chan," Kyoko gushed, playing with the buttons again. "He made me dinner. Before Italy, he couldn't make a thing. But then he surprises me by making really good pasta dishes. And, oh, you should have seen how ridiculous he looked in my pink apron that I left here!" She added with another giggle.

"Tsuruga Ren looking ridiculous? I'd pay money to see that. So then what?"

"We had dinner," she stated obviously. "I was a little nervous, actually. He was quiet almost the whole time."

Moko sounded thoughtful. "Maybe he was nervous to be around you. So? Did he kiss you good night when he dropped you off home? Is that why you sound so lovesick?" No answer. "Huh? What happened? One second you're all love struck before and now you're silent? Kyoko, what happened?" More silence. "Mogami Kyoko, start talking now or I will match myself over to your house and-"

"I'm not at my house," she muttered, her cheeks a wonderful shade of red. "I'm at Ren's…"

"What!?" she shrieked. "You spent the night at his house? Was the snow too bad to drive through there?"

"No…"

Now there was silence of Moko's end. "Are you saying… ? _Kyoko, did you sleep with him?!" _Kyoko's responding bout of silence was answer enough. "Oh no! You didn't!"

"What?" Kyoko started defensively. "I'm 18-years-old. It's not as if there haven't been worse cases." _What as the age difference for that couple on the show Ren and I watched last year? 19 years, I believe._

"Kyoko! He's the most famous man in all of Japan!" Moko was on a roll now. "Don't you think a few heads will turn if the world finds out he's sleeping with a junior member of his agency? Even worse, his costar who is _still in high school?"_

"It doesn't matter to me that he's older-"

"It's not if it bothers _you_, stupid! It doesn't even matter in he doesn't have a problem with it! It's what others see! His reputation will be shot, and yours will be put into question, too. Don't you realize what people will think?" She didn't wait for a response. "Everyone will say you only got certain jobs because you're with Tsuruga Ren! There's nothing worse for your reputation then everyone pegging you as a sleaze! Mo!" And then the 'mo's started... "You'll bring down your career! You just got off your feet, mo! The rumors will be endless! The news will have a field day, mo! If not for your career, think of _his_! Mo!! He's never had a public love interest and now he's dating a high school student? People will say he's a pervert or something-"

"He's not a pervert," Kyoko snapped.

"You know that, I know that, and Ren knows that. But it's what the public will _thinks_ that counts! Mo! You can be so naïve."

"But, I love him…" Kyoko dragged the sleeve of Ren's shirt over her eyes.

Moko sighed. "I know, but be reasonable."

"I don't want to be reasonable, Moko-chan! He already tried to convince me that we couldn't be together, but I don't care. Don't you want me to be happy?"

"You know I do. I… I support your happiness, but not at the price of destroying both your careers. Kyoko, think of that movie you're doing. Isn't it that your character ends up having to run away from home and quit school while her fiancée is fired?"

"Yeah…"

"In real life, no one would make such stupid choices. You can act out the role, sure, but that's all it is: a role. Life… just doesn't work that way, Kyoko. I'm sorry."

Kyoko turned that thought over. Maybe this really was too good to be true. And Kyoko knew she wouldn't be able to stand it if Ren lost his career because of her. _No, that would just be horrible. I'm not worth that._ Yes, Moko seemed to be right; their situation only worked on the big screen.

"Kyoko?" She looked up as Ren stuck his head n the room. "Yashiro is just ecstatic about us. He actually wants to meet us for lunch later, it that's okay with you." He paused as he caught sight of Kyoko's expression. "Kyoko, what's wrong?" He dropped to her side, taking her in his arms. "Please, don't be sad, Kyoko. I'm here for you, whatever happens."

_How can this man know just what to say?_

Kyoko kissed his neck. She had made up her mind. "Moko-chan?" She called over the phone. "I think I realize why you were put in the Love Me section now, despite being such a wonderful actress. You think love is only for show. Moko-chan, I don't think you believe real love can work." Her suspicions were confirmed when her friend didn't reply this time. "I understand your concerns, really I do. And I know you are only saying these things because you care about me. But… I love him. So I'm willing to stick things out. No matter what comes our way."

"Well…" She sighed. "It's your life, Kyoko, and your career. Just make sure you're one-hundred percent positive."

Kyoko found her answer as she stared into Ren's eyes. "I am. Talk to you later, Moko-chan." And she snapped the phone shut before capturing Ren's lips.


	7. Part 7

_A/n: Someone asked if I could involve Shotaro into the plot. So, I whipped this bad boy up. Here you go, __pinktreasure__-chan! And __Eri Nikaido__-chan wanted me to throw in some action with the media -you got it! Just for you guys, and more adverse effects are to appear, I'm sure! Yup, more to come, duckies! And remember, reviews make me happy! This is my first anime fic, so encourage me a little, please!_

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing.**

Kyoko giggled. "Ren, that's not much of a disguise," she teased, flicking his dark sunglasses. "You'll be recognized almost as soon as you step out of the apartment.

"Really?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "It's that obvious?"

"O_bviously_ you don't realize how popular you are." She picked up a dark hat, handing it to him to put on -she was much to short to put it on him herself. "Here, try this. And make sure to tilt it."

He made a face but did as she told.

In the end, Kyoko and Ren had decided that to some degree, Moko was right. It would be too much of a hassle to announce themselves as a couple. With Ren being as popular as he was, it would be a huge risk to his profession. And then there was Kyoko's raising career to think of. Besides that, the reporters, who never had any good relationship gossip about Ren to boast, would have a field day. Tie in the fact that they were working together on a movie and it was just a recipe for chaos. They would never get a moment's peace!

However, keeping them a secret was easier said then done. Neither one of them had realized how hard it would be to act normally around each other until the second day of shooting for Daiboken. Typically, rumors fly about the male and female leads anyway in situations such as these. It was really very normal. But everything seemed so much truer when the twosome could be spotted laughing and joking about on set. Or when they would always arrive together and leave together. Or even the way they just looked at each other sometimes.

Of course, there were also the scenes they had together to consider… But -thankfully- no one really did. This was Tsuruga Ren, after all. It was no secret that he really could make his coworker fall in love with him on set and make it look completely real. That was just how much of a wonderful actor he was. So no one entertained the idea that these romantic scenes between Ren and Kyoko stemmed off experience. That was at least a lucky break.

Kyoko and Ren had agreed to only tell the minimal people: Yashiro, Moko, and Lory. And the Okami and Taisho of the Darumaya Kyoko worked at. Ren insisted on telling them, saying they were the closest thing to parents Kyoko had and were sure to be worried about the amount of time she wasn't at home anymore. And the amount of times she didn't come home at night…

Kyoko propped her head up on her hand, watching with mild amusement as Ren donned his "disguise". Really, it was just a dark pair of slacks and pure black jacket, along with the hat Kyoko had suggested. "I honestly don't know why you want to go through so much trouble, Ren. We could just stay home and watch a few movies." _Since when did I start referring to Ren's apartment as 'home'? _"It would be much simpler."

Ren leaned over the counter, placing his face inches from hers. Kyoko's heart frantically picked up speed at the proximity. "Why can't I want to take my girlfriend out on the town?" Her heart doubled in speed at the word 'girlfriend'. "It's not fair to you that I can't even walk in public with you. So I think we should give it a try tonight."

"But if someone recognizes you…"

"No one will recognize me." His grinned broadly. "Because I am not the same person I was before. I am different, because of you. I'm actually happy for once."

Kyoko traced his jaw line with her pointer finger. "You must be exaggerating. You never seemed unhappy before."

"Then I must be one hell of an actor." Ren's face softened. "Thank god I don't have to pretend anymore. I can be myself when I'm with you, Kyoko. Do you know how amazing that feels?" He didn't wait for a response, instead choosing to push his lips to hers. It was a brief kiss, leaving Kyoko wanting more. He acknowledged her pout with an eye roll. "Come on; we'll miss our reservations if we don't leave now."

Kyoko sighed, but grabbed her black overcoat.

-break-

Ren rolled over, ignoring the chiming of what he knew to be his cell phone. It felt much too early, so he thought he could just let it ring then call back whoever it was later. But no dice. Once the ringing stopped -to his relief- it merely started all over again. He growled, sitting up in bed and snatching the phone off of his nightstand_. I swear, one day I will toss this thing out the window._ "Hello?" He chanced a look at his clock and groaned. "What could you possibly need to talk about at 6:05 on my only day off work this week, Yashiro?"

"Thank god you answered!" The alertness in the older man's voice caught Ren's attention.

"What's wrong, Yashiro?"

"Turn on the TV to the news. It doesn't matter which one; they're all showing the same thing. Quick!"

The urgency in his voice sprung Ren into action. He jumped out of his bed, dashed into the living room, and started the TV up. He never really watched TV, except occasionally for ratings for movies or dramas he appeared in that showed on the news channel anyway so he didn't have to flip any channels.

What he saw on the screen sent his blood cold.

It was a picture of him and Kyoko from last night at the restaurant. For far away, you might not have recognized Ren -the hat really did block most of his face. But this camera must have either had excellent zoom of the person taking it was pretty close up, for you could clearly identify him.

Kyoko hadn't thought she would need a disguise since she wasn't all too famous yet, so she wore normal if not stylish clothing, her hair pulled back from her face in a small ponytail. He realized now this was a mistake; whoever took this picture had obviously recognized her too. Under the picture read the caption: "Tsuruga Ren (22) and apparent girlfriend Kyoko (age unknown)."

The screen then shifted to a gossip reporter who began speaking in a fast, excited pace. "Well, there you have it! Yes ladies, Ren is officially off the market." There were many 'boo's and 'aww's heard from the audience. "Now, how about a little info on this girl? For those of you who don't recognize her, color her hair black and turn that smile into one fierce glare! Yes, that's right! It's Mio, from Dark Moon! And who else do we happen to remember starred in Dark Moon?" The crowd shouted in unison Ren's name. "You got it! Details are still sketchy. We hope to have a whole story in the next few days, maybe even an interview with this couple! The higher ups of LME, the company they both belong to, have been persistent with their 'no comments' so we'll just have to find out the truth straight from their mouths-"

"Ren-kun? Ren-kun? Are you still there?"

"H-how?"

"I have no idea. Clearly, someone recognized you, and Kyoko too." There was a gasp on Yashiro's side of the line. "Quick, channel 17! They're interviewing a girl who knows Kyoko!"

Ren flipped the channel. Now the screen held a male reported and a young girl he seemed to be interviewing.

"So you attend school with Kyoko-san then?"

The dark-haired girl nodded. "Yes, I do. She's in my year at the school. It's one especially for actors and actresses."

The man leaned forward. "So, what can you tell us about her, Nanokura-san?"

She giggled, sounding like an airhead. "Oh please, call me Mimori-chan! I insist." She flicked her hair back then. "Well, her name is Mogami Kyoko. She works for LME, but she only recently started to get busy enough she that misses school. Last year she was always there, meaning she didn't have a lot of jobs," Mimori explained. "Anyway, she's actually a year older then me making her around 18. I never bothered to ask why she didn't attend school last year." She shrugged her shoulders. "Must have failed exams or something."

"Oh god," Ren mumbled, dropping his face into his hand as the girl blathered on and on. "This cannot be happening."

"It is, Ren." Yashiro roughly stated. "You have to face facts; the cat's out of the bag."

"How are we going to handle this? Should we just deny everything?"

"… If you did, to make your point, you'd have to stay away from Kyoko for quite a while." Ren groaned. "Okay, I guess that's out. Is Kyoko there?"

"No, she wanted to work this morning at the Darumaya. I took her home last night."

Yashiro sighed. "This is such a mess. You have to call her to let her know."

Ren pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you… do you think she'll be angry with me? Kyoko kept saying we should stay home last night anyway. Do you think… she'll be mad enough to break things off with me?" He asked in a small voice. The thought was causing him physical pain, clenching around his heart_. I wouldn't blame her if she did want to break up with me…_

"I don't think she'll do anything that extreme. I have to go; Lory-san is calling me now. Call Kyoko! Try to work through this with her."

"Yeah," Ren mumbled, shutting the phone in one hand. He looked up at the screen to see the girl was still talking. He was about to shut if off when something she said broke through his thoughts.

"… total pain when we were in Fuwa Sho's promo clip last year."

Ren's eyes widened_. She doesn't know about the relationship between those two, does she?_ He quickly turned the volume up.

Mimori batted her eyes. "I was hand chosen by Sho-kun to be in his clip. As an angel, no less. But I heard her agency had to get her the spot. Actually, the other girl that was in the Curara commercial with Mogami was supposed to have my spot, but it didn't work out."

"Yes, I saw both the commercial and the promo clip. I could hardly recognize her as the same actress. She really did look amazing as the other angel."

Ren felt an irrational pang of jealousy but chose to ignore it.

Mimori shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "Yes, well, make-up can do wonders. And she had trouble with the scene where she killed Sho-kun -the devil- at first."

"The clip did come out really well though."

"Thanks to Sho-kun amazing talent! That was his first time acting too," the girl gushed, her eyes sparkling.

"Uh, yes. But, now back to Kyoko-san. Did she enjoy doing the clip? Did she and Fuwa-san work well together?"

Ren was a little curious to hear what the girl would say, too.

Mimori shrugged. "They fought a lot of the time, shouting back and forth."

"Really? They didn't get along."

"No." Mimori looked troubled now. "There was something strange about them, actually. Sho-kun said she used to be a childhood friend or something, but they really seemed to hate each other. She actually volunteered for the role of the angel who killed him!"

_Typical Kyoko._ Ren sighed, a bit relieved, though he knew that how Kyoko and Fuwa got along last year should be the least of his worries.

"So Kyoko-san is a woman from Fuwa-san's past who deeply seems to hate him?" The man looked deep in thought. "Maybe an ex-girlfriend?"

"No!" Mimori actually jumped up from her chair at that. "I asked him, and he said it wasn't like that at all! And I believe Sho-kun! He would never lie to me." There a sad look overcame her. "I _do_ believe him."

The man jumped back a bit, but let a small smile take over his face. "Our time is now up. Thank you for your time again, Nano- I mean, Mimori-chan. It's been a pleasure."

"The pleasure was all mine," she responded, shaking his hand.

Ren shut the TV off, letting his head fall back against the couch. "This is just wonderful. Not only does the world know that we are dating, they now know a bunch of things about Kyoko." _Including that she's still in high school. _That made him twitch. "And, on top of it all, the girl had to tell the world about her grudge with Fuwa." _At least she didn't know why Kyoko hates him. I suppose that's the only upside. Something like that could drop her popularity at this point._

_Hypocrite,_ Ren chastised himself. _What could be worse for her career then everyone knowing she's involved with me?_

With a groan, he picked up his phone again. "I suppose I should tell her before anyone else has the chance," he sighed as he hit the speed dial button. He was not looking forward to this phone call.


	8. Part 8

_A/n: I'm sorry if this wasn't clear in the last chapter; Part 7 took place a week after Christmas/Kyoko's 18__th__. So that happened on the first of January. That's why Ren was so determined to take her out for the day. While the Japanese have their own New Years, they still do acknowledge January 1__st__ as the beginning of the new month._

_Next chapter will be the one I have been planning in my head since I finished reading about Beagle on the online Skip Beat chapters. Something the leader said stuck with me fiercely. Review this chapter asking for a preview if you want it._

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing.**

Yashiro wiped his glasses. It was a nervous habit of his that returned in situations such as these. After cleaning them on his shirt for the 6th time this morning, he looked up at his long time friend. "And you're sure you want to do this?"

"It's not as if we have much choice," Ren reminded him quietly. "It's best to just get this out of the way as soon as possible and see where it brings us."

"What did Lory say when you told him you were agreeing to an interview?"

"He was worried at first, but in the end, he came around. Yashiro, they'll never leave Kyoko and I alone until we give them the basic details. It's unavoidable. This _has_ to be done."

"This is," Yashiro angrily interrupted. "Supposing they'll leave you alone at all. So you give them what they want to know now, but will that be enough? Ren-kun, don't you realize how serious this situation is already? I don't think one little interview will satisfy them-"

"We understand that, Yashiro-kun," Kyoko quietly interceded, tugging on the ends of her hair. "We know that the press will be… impossible, for the most part the next few weeks. We'll survive, somehow. But, for right now, the most important thing to do is quench their thirst. Have you seen how insane things have been at LME and the set of Daiboken? Reporters are everywhere, begging for an interview, and disrupting our jobs. It's not fair to everyone we work with that they have to be inconvenienced because of this."

Just yesterday LME was flocked with the media. It was almost impossible to even get in the front doors -though, thankfully, the press didn't block the back exit the actors used. But certain clients that came through the main entrance were met with an unwelcome crowd. It took the President several irate calls to news companies, police escorts, and a few restraining orders before they were all evacuated. Needless to say, that type of thing could not be allowed to happen again. The press had to be talked to formally.

Whether Kyoko wanted to do it or not.

Ren wrapped his arm around Kyoko's shoulders comfortingly. "Would it help if I apologized about all this again?"

Kyoko snuggled herself to his side. "There's no need. I knew this would happen eventually. It was just… a little sooner then could be expected. Barely a week and a half into our relationship and this happens," she sighed in a joking manner. "I should have known that surefire press attention would come along with being your girlfriend. Well, infamy on my part, really."

"Infamy?" Ren asked, confused.

"Sure. I've taken away the most eligible bachelor in Japan! _The_ Ren Tsuruga: officially off the market. Every woman across the land is sure to be cursing my existence," she stated matter-of-factly though breaking out in laughter at the end.

Ren chuckled too, glad for the distraction. She always knew just what to say to ease the tension_. Is it even possible for someone to be as amazing as her?_ "We'll just have to set them straight this morning, then. We'll let them see what a wonderful woman you are," he chuckled, ducking his head to just above where her neck met her shoulder blades. "And let them see how much I love you." He lightly kissed her skin before looking back at Yashiro. "Is it almost time?"

His manager nodded, still grumbling internally. "Also, you received a message from Fuwa's manger." Ren felt Kyoko stiffen in his arms at this news. "She asks, on behalf of Fuwa, that you not unearth the details of his and Kyoko's past to the public." Here Yashiro rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed with such a request. "She knows it will hurt his reputation but also realizes that she can not ask you to lie to the media if you chose not to, Kyoko-chan."

"Kyoko, you don't have to do as she asks, you know," Ren reminded the young woman quietly. "He has no right to ask you not to say a word about what went on between you two. Maybe you should take this chance to have your 'revenge' on him."

Kyoko tilted her head back to better look at Ren. "I'm not going to say a word about the Dork. But it's not for his benefit or even mine. I just don't think he's worth wasting air time nor breath to even mention," she coolly added. "Besides, we have bigger issues to deal with right now them him. I just can't believe he even had the nerve to try to tell me to keep my mouth shut." Kyoko clenched her fists. _Sometimes even I cannot believe the ego on him._

Ren tightened his hold around her shoulders. "And you're sure?"

Kyoko smiled tentatively. "He's not important, Ren. Only you are."

A man with an earpiece peeked back behind the stage area. "Ah, there you are. We're ready for you, Tsuruga-san. Mogami-san." He waved them after him. Ren took Kyoko's hand in his as the couple followed.

They were led to a sitting area with a large couch next to a desk. Behind the desk was a woman in her mid-thirties. Her jet-black hair was tied up away from her heart-shaped face. She smiled kindly, gesturing for them to take a seat. "Welcome, welcome. I'm Narumawa Izumi. It's so nice to have you both on my show." She walked around her desk to shake both of their hands.

"It's our pleasure to be here," Ren politely replied, although it really wasn't.

"Yes," Kyoko tacked on quickly. "Thank you for inviting us."

The woman grinned, sliding back into her own seat. "It seems I was not unique in that aspect. How many interview offers _did_ you two receive?"

Kyoko shrugged her shoulders. "Far too many to count. But, we've decided to do one interview and then be done with it."

"Oh?"

"Yes." Ren flipped over their still entwined hands as the woman's eyes came to a halt on him. "We hope the media will understand, but we'd much rather have our privacy, all things considered. This is a one-time thing and we hope not to be approached again for something of this nature in the future. Surely, you can understand this?" There was an undertone in his voice that hinted at his annoyance and implied it was a rhetorical question.

Never the less, Izumi nodded quickly. "O-of course. I know I wouldn't want to be bothered when I'm out with my boyfriend, nor I'm sure would anyone else. S-so… um. Ah, yes," she remembered, looking down at her papers. "Your relationship. Any details you want to share right off the back?"

Kyoko scuffled her feet. "We haven't been together too long; less then two weeks, I think. I started working at LME about a year and a half ago when I first came to Tokyo. That's when I first met Ren, though very briefly. He was more senior then me at the agency and already a very successful actor, as you all know."

"How did you get to be close to him? I doubt Tsuruga Ren himself goes about making friends with all the newcomers."

"I happened to run into him on my way to the newcomers audition again later on." Kyoko smiled a bit, remembering that run it. _That was when Ren first found out my reason for wanting to join the agency, and mocked me for it. Looking back, I can't blame him. It must have seemed like such a silly reason to him… and even to me now that I've been in this industry for a bit._ "I ended up in a part of the agency that helped out other members. I was assigned to assist Matsunai Ruriko. I met Ren again on the set." She chuckled._ It was fate. _"It was actually a bit strange how we kept running into each other. Over time, we became friends through the random process of bumping into one another and working together."

"I really admired how strong Kyoko was," Ren put in. "It made me want to get to know her better. And I'm glad I did." He smiled down at her, making her blush a bit.

The woman sighed, a pleased look on her face. "Oh, how sweet. Friends turned to a couple. If that isn't the personification of western romance, then I don't know what is." Izumi turned her attention back to Kyoko. "Now, Mogami-san, you're new to the scene and still a bit of an unknown. Why not give us a little information about yourself?"

Kyoko shared a quick look with Ren. "Well, my name is Mogami Kyoko by birth. I'm 18 years old, born in Kyoto. I want to become the best actress I can possibly be. I don't have many hobbies. But I always try my hardest at everything I do because I believe one should always do things right the first time."

"How very true. What about your childhood?"

Kyoko managed to keep her face smooth. "I'd rather leave my past in my past. Right now I'm trying to become a whole new me, so I don't want to dreg up the old Mogami Kyoko anymore or I'll never be able to grow as an actress."

Izumi pouted a bit. "But, well… I was actually hoping to hear more about this feud I hear you have with Fuwa Sho…"

The younger woman shook her head. "Once again, a part of my past. I want to make this clear right now: if you want to hear about my past with Sho, you'll have to hear it from him because I'm not going to bring it up. Feel free to try to get it from him, though I doubt he'll be anymore forthcoming then me."

"Oh. Um… Okay then." The dark-haired woman cleared her throat and resumed her endless torture. The questions ranged from Kyoko's standings in school -no problem since she was top of her class- to jobs Kyoko had taken to what they liked to do on dates to more… risqué topics. Eventually even _the_ question came up. The "how far along are you as a couple?" more commonly understood as the sex question. Understandably, both Kyoko and Ren were fairly embarrassed and dodged the question. Izumi pursued relentlessly, but gave up when it became obvious they refused to answer.

When they were released half an hour later, they quickly left the stage area and never looked back. Without a doubt, that had been one of the most mortifying experiences either party had experienced and they never wanted to talk about it ever again.


	9. Part 9

_A/n: Veryyy late. Ya see… this is always my biggest problem. I get all fired up about a story, but then I fizzle out. Sorry; this is going to be the last chapter for a while. Sorry, sorry. I'm writing more -so keep me on your faves- but it will be a while before I can get them out. Feel free to boo and chuck rotted produce now...  
_

**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Anything.**

"Mogami-san?"

Kyoko raised her head when she heard her name called. "Oh, Sawara-san. Did you need something?" She hitched her bag up farther on her shoulder. She had just finished a session at the LME acting school and came to the main office to pick up a script she had left there. Sawara managed to catch her just as she was heading out the door.

The man was peeking his head out of his office, a phone in one hand. "Before you leave, there's someone looking for you upstairs."

Curious, Kyoko tilted her head to a side. "Really? Who?"

He shook his head. "Not quite sure. I think it's someone with a job proposition for you. Should I send them away?"

Her eyes widened. "Oh no, I'll handle it. It must be very important if they came all the way here to see me. Which room can I find them in?"

"Third floor business room. You know it, right?"

Kyoko nodded and headed off.

She managed to catch the empty elevator just as it was about to leave, dashing into it as the doors closed. She sighed in relief and hit her floor's button, then leaned against the wall. Her eyes stayed to her watch nervously. Kyoko wanted to get this meeting with her mystery guest over quickly. In truth, Ren would be picking her up in the parking lot in only ten minutes and she did not want to keep him waiting. She tapped her foot impatiently, a dazzling smile on her face as she realized she now had someone to wait on her; someone who was happy to see her and would even miss her. It was strange, foreign, but not at all unwelcome.

The ride was very short. She lifted her bag more securely over her should before striding out of the elevator. Two lefts and one quick right brought her to her destination. Still bubbling with curiosity, Kyoko was impatient to meet this person who would came all the way to her business place so late in the day. Without bothering to knock, she entered the room.

It was lit only sparingly, clearly unused most of the time. At the far end of the room, with their back to her was a tall figure, clearly male. She crossed the room at a more reasonable pace then she had used to reach the room, now a bit nervous. Kyoko was able to register light hair -possibly bleached- and a lean body before he turned on the spot to face her. Then her mind went strangely blank.

"What a face you're making," the man snickered. "Really, not fitting for an actress."

Normally, such a comment would have sent her blood boiling, but Kyoko was still in shock. After all, she hadn't seen his face for months. But it would one that was quite hard to forget. Her eyes narrowed, but she couldn't hide the surprise from her voice. "Shotaro."

"The one and only." He closed the gap between them, now placing him scarcely a foot from her. "I see you've been… well."

"How did you get in here?" Kyoko blurted out.

He rolled his eyes. "The front door, naturally. Granted, I had my hat pulled over my face so I wouldn't be recognized, and I used Shoko's name as my boss to get the assistant to set this meeting up." Sho shrugged. "It wasn't too difficult. Really, is the talent so poor at LME that the security can afford to be so lax?"

Kyoko ignored his offensive comments. "Okay, now_ why_ are you here?"

"I'm hurt. Can't a person pay their childhood friend every once-"

"Cut the bull," she interrupted. "Childhood friend my ass. What is your real reason for bothering me on one of my few days off? And, speaking of, how did you know I'd even be here?

"I didn't know you would be here when I came. But when I did arrived and asked for you, I was told you had just been spotted. So, I got lucky in that."

"Again, I ask you why you're here."

He crossed his arms. "My, how rude Tokyo has turned you. Where is the sweet girl from Kyoto who always spoke so politely?"

"She disappeared off the face of the Earth the night you ditched me," she answered bluntly and without feeling. "At least, she's gone when it comes to you anyway. Why should I bother speaking politely to someone like _you_? So, if you would be so kind," Kyoko spat sarcastically, "tell me why the hell you're at LME, Shotaro."

Sho let his arms fall to his sides as he leaned against the table. "I actually am here on business. See, my agency has started to get curious. The press has been really annoying, asking what went on between me and you and junk." _Ah, so they _did_ tried to get the information from him after I was on the interview with Ren_, Kyoko realized with satisfaction. "You didn't tell them what they wanted, so of course they came to me. And I can't tell them the truth-"

"Because it would make you look like a complete jerk?" Kyoko provided helpfully.

He glared at her. "Whatever. The point is, they don't want to the media to try to make things up. Like that you're some angry ex or something." He tone didn't help matter. It clearly was a 'yeah right, like I'd ever date _her_' tone; Kyoko had to grit her teeth to stop herself from shouting that'd she rather die then ever be thought of as Sho's type.

"So what does that have to do with me? I already made it clear that I wasn't going to say anything about what went on between us," Kyoko coolly responded.

"We need to come up with some type of cover story for why Poochi said we don't get along."

"So, you're asking me to lie?" That annoyed Kyoko to no ends. "No, not a chance. You can not expect me to go along with that."

"Would you rather everyone think we have something going on?"

Kyoko laughed. "Oh please, that's ridiculous. No one would ever think something so ludicrous."

Sho raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Who in the world would ever think I'd go with you? I mean, I have Tsuruga Ren; why would I trade down for you?" She smiled widely, proud to be able to deliver such a blow to Sho's ego.

Of course, she got the expected response. His face drained of color, but then flushed as his anger overwhelmed him. It looked as if a vein was about to pop in Sho's neck. His eyes were slits now, narrowed to the point that they looked closed. This was a reaction Kyoko had predicted; he had always had a bad temper since childhood. It seemed this hadn't changed. _He's so predictable._

"Aren't you the one," Sho hissed, "who used to tell me the only good thing about him was his face? You used to bash him all the time! When did it change? Are you only with him because you want to piss him off-"

Kyoko never left him finish his acquisition. In one quick movement, her hand had lashed out to strike him across the face. Sho's eyes widen, his hands on his check where she had hit him. No one had _ever _hit him before. Least of all Kyoko.

But Kyoko was beyond angry. "How dare you say such a petty thing! I would never be so cruel to Ren. Unlike you, I can see beyond appearances; I merely said that because I knew it would annoy you most to be compared to Ren." Sho visibly flinched. "Having lived with you for so long, I know your ego is you biggest weakness. There was once a time when I used to nurse it for you. That was the sole reason I ever said such rude things about Ren: to make you feel less pathetic." She snorted. "In that sense, maybe I'm partially to blame for your huge ego.

"Once I got to know Ren, I immediately felt horrible for saying such things. I knew nothing about him back then; I had never even seen him act. It was foolish and unforgivable to say he was only famous for his face when I had never seen him in action." She shook her head and sighed. _Really, when I think I compared him to Shotaro and said Sho was better... I was so ridiculous. Hindsight really is twenty-twenty._ "But, back to the issue at hand. I refuse to lie for you. Yet I also refuse to tell the truth against you. Don't mistake my actions as me not wanting to hurt you image, however. I just don't care to relieve those pathetic years when you were everything to me. You're not worth it."

Sho moved his hands from his cheek. "Fine." His voice was hard. "Do as you wish. But, you're wrong, by the way."

Confused, Kyoko tilted her head to a side.

"You're wrong about me being everything _only_ back then. I'm still the most important person in your life." He grinned maliciously. "Even now, everything you do is motivated by me. Don't believe me, then considered this: if I _wasn't_ the most important person in your life, why are you still in Tokyo? Who is the reason you got into the acting business, Kyoko? Or have you forgotten whom you swore to have your revenge against? Heh. I still control you. And so you are still mine." He took a step closer to her, placing his hands on her cheeks as he spoke to her. "I don't care what you say, but I still hold the biggest part of your heart. The largest part of it… is devoted to your hatred of me. And so I have control over you. I don't care what your reasons are. All that matters is that I still control you."

Kyoko's face was frozen in a state of shock. For he was right. For all her snappy comebacks, Sho was right. _How could I let him control my life so?_

_But… wait._

He slowly lifted his hands from her face, letting her fall to her knees. He turned away quickly, making his way to the door to leave. "So mull that over, Kyoko. Try to tell me that I'm wrong."

"Wait."

He paused, his hand on the doorknob. "What now? Are you going to try to convince me I'm wrong?"

"No," she whispered hollowly. "There is no denying it… you're right. My motivation for joining acting… it was all for you. I wanted to crush you, and along the way prove I wasn't as plain as you claimed. You're… completely correct."

Sho snickered. "Of course I am. So you admit that you belong to me?"

"I said that you were right about why I first joined LME, not that you controlled me." Kyoko slowly got to her feet, her voice gaining strength. "You know, when I first joined LME, Ren hated me. He hated that I would come into his profession for such a foolish reason, for wanting to get revenge on you. I was so blinded by my hatred for you -for my goal of destroying you- that I never considered why actors act. I failed the first acting examine as a result of what you did to me. When you left, I lost the ability to love. And that is the feeling a proper actor needs most. So, you still controlled me. Back then."

By now, tears were flowing down her face. "Then I met my best friend Moko. She's an amazing actress, but she too lost the will to love and be loved. In her, I found a kindred spirit. But, she was still better off then I was. Do you know why? Because she acts out of her love of it! Moko told me later that she wanted me to keep acting until I could find it in myself to do it out of love, as she did. When I accepted the offer to appear in your promo clip, I did it as a means of revenge. I wanted to use you as a stepping-stone as you did to me. But, it didn't work out like that."

_How could I forget that? What Moko told me… _Kyoko saw the memory in her mind: the one of Moko convincing her that Sho never even crossed her mind when she was acting. Then she heard the director of Sho's promo clip telling her a good actress loses herself in her roles when she gets into it. And Kuu… even he had told her that when an actress really enjoys acting, they even get sad when they must leave the role. _I enjoy acting. I really do_, Kyoko realized with agasp.

"Over time, my reasoning for being an actress changed. You became less and less important. Not to say that I still didn't want to crush you, but I had a new reason. In fact, Ren helped me discover it." Kyoko held her head high, ignoring her flowing tears, facing a shell-shocked Sho. "Since childhood, my every action was for someone else's benefit. I tried my hardest in school for Mother. I worked hard to impress your parents so they would like me. And, of course, I gave up my life in Kyoko just for you, Shotaro. But… when I'm acting, I feel as if I'm having fun. I enjoy it. For once, I'm acting so I can get better _for my own benefit_._ I_ want to be the best actress I can be. It's what _I_ want. Do you have any idea how wonderful it feels to finally do something for myself? To be a little selfish…" Kyoko giggled as she wiped her eyes.

"I am done with this, Shotaro. I won't deny that you are the reason I joined this business, but you aren't the reason that I try my hardest to get better. And to prove it, I renounce my grudge with you. I won't waste another minute on hating you. Not now that I can know such happiness could be mine if I'd only let it fill me. You've repaid me a million-fold, anyway. Because I hated you, I found a career I love, a best friend I love, and a man I love. A man who means more to me then I could ever have thought. So… consider your debt repaid, Fuwa Shotaro. Our business is done."

With a bright smile, Kyoko walked up to Sho, who instinctively flinched away. She bowed generously before turning her back on him. She walked back down the corridor, feeling at peace. And she never looked back.


	10. Part 10

_A/n: Wow, it's been a while, huh? Sorry that it took so long for me to start posting again. I have no excuses, except that I was out having a life (for once). But don't worry; that's all behind me now. XD_

* * *

"Ren?" Kyoko's soft voice right beside his ear helped lure him out of sleep. Indeed, why sleep when his dream come true was waiting for him? "We need to get up, Ren. The shooting, remember?" She shoved him lightly when he didn't stir. "I made breakfast," Kyoko added, hoping that would motivate him into leaving his bed. "And coffee!"

Slowly, Ren rolled onto his side, facing her. So she smiled briefly in triumph. Briefly, because then Ren reached out with his long arms, dragging her back into the bed. She squeaked at the sudden motion as his arms wrapped around her torso, effectively preventing any escape. However, when he began kissing her neck, her surprise morphed to lust. Kyoko reached her arms behind her, locking them in his midnight black hair, tugging him on. Naturally, he complied, exchanging light kisses on his neck for deep ones on her mouth once he had turned her around in his arms.

"We have to," she moaned between kisses as she caught her breath, "g-get to work."

"They won't start the shoot without us," he countered, his hands working there way up the back of her shirt, fiddling with the clasp of her bra.

"Your perfect record will be stained."

He successfully removed her bra, slipping in out of her shirt. As he gazed at her through the thin t-shirt (his, actually), Ren whispered huskily, "Worth it."

His intense look made Kyoko's cheeks flush a bit, but it excited her more then it embarrassed her. It was amazing to wrap her mind around the fact that Ren wanted her just as much as she wanted him. For so long, she had been a nobody. And now, she was so deeply in love that she could hardly believe it. Every time he looked at her like that or kissed her so passionately, Kyoko felt as if they were the only people in the world. Just the two of them, suffocating in their love for one another.

With a grin of her own now as she wiggled in his grasp a bit, fiddling with his pajama bottoms. Kyoko had to bite her lip to keep from smiling any wider as it was Ren's turn to squirm. He uttered a sound similar to a growl as she slipped a hand past the waistband, reaching lower and lower until-  
**  
Bzzt! Bzzt!**

With a sigh, Kyoko pulled away, allowing Ren to snatch his phone off of the nightstand. "Yashiro," he hissed, "this had better be important."

As the young woman reached for her discarded undergarment, her cheeks notably colored at being caught at such an intimate moment, she heard Ren's manager reply over the phone about the time for their rehearsal being moved up.

"I know this is really short call, but he, the director, expects you both to be at the set in forty minutes. I hope it won't be too much of a problem."

Ren sat up, running his hand through his messy hair. "It shouldn't be an issue. We'll be there." He said a quick good bye before snapping the phone shut. "Forty minutes is plenty of time to get there, and with time to spare," he told Kyoko, gesturing for her to join her back in the bed.

And the offer was almost too sweet to resist. Until a beeping in the kitchen reached their ears. "Wahh! I totally forgot about the coffee pot," Kyoko realized, dashing out of the room to prevent a fire.

Chuckling, Ren climbed out of bed, heading to the bathroom for a quick shower.

Meanwhile, Kyoko was clearly flustered as she shut down the coffee maker. _Way to ruin the moment_, she berated herself as she poured the pot into a mug.

Since officially becoming a couple with Ren, her confidence had skyrocketed. Her directors and superiors at LME alike had commented on it. And her friends had noticed too. "Love looks good on you," Moko had commented just the other day as they met for lunch. Was it really such a huge change? Kyoko hadn't really noticed, except for the fact that she would sometimes find herself humming tunelessly nowadays. Feeling happy all the time felt a bit strange now, and yet, a bit nostalgic. It almost reminded her of her childhood with Shotaro.

In retrospect, Kyoko had to shake her head at her own foolishness. She had been so desperate to with Shotaro, so desperate to love him. Really, that was all it was. She needed to love him. It didn't matter to her if he hadn't returned it, as long as he didn't completely reject it. Naturally, Kyoko was a very warm person and full of love. But she had never had an outlet for her love, a person who she could shower with her boundless affection. Not having a close household only added to the swelling of such feelings. Being capable of loving so much, but not being able to do it was painful, more then she had realized as a child. Actually, her younger self probably didn't even realize why she had needed Shotaro so deeply and loved him so carelessly.

When she first met Korn it was the first time she could truly be herself. She didn't have to be afraid of her mother, nor constantly doting on Shotaro, so... she was just being. Of course, she knew that she liked Korn, but the feeling was somehow weaker then her feeling towards Shotaro had been. Perhaps it was because she was so determined to give Shotaro her everything. Whatever the case, when she was with Korn, her emotions were subtle and light.

They were peaceful.  
_  
I guess I was happy to love Sho because he didn't reject me,_ Kyoko mused as she wiped down counters._ With Korn, I was accepted, but, since it felt different then it did with Sho, I assumed being cared for in return wasn't natural. Clearly, my mind was warped when it came to love. Only to be expected._

But, living the lie that was her 'happiness' helped her compare her feelings for the only two men who she had ever loved. And her love for Shotaro paled in comparison to the endless affection she held for Ren. She found it a bit ironic that she was using what had once been considered her true love for Shotaro to make her see how much more she loved Ren.

Ren stumbled into the kitchen then, fiddling with the collar of his shirt. "We'd better hurry up, Kyoko. Yashiro will have our heads if we're late for this." One of his dark eyebrows rose as he observed the pensive look on her face. "What is on you mind?"

She sauntered over to him and quickly adjusted his collar. "Hm? Nothing much, just thinking about the past. My childhood with Shotaro." Kyoko giggled when she noticed his face darken. "Cool your jealousy, Ren. What I should have said was I realized how grateful I am to have met Shotaro. If I hadn't, I never would have met you, and I never would have discovered how love should truly feel." The auburn-haired girl winked before dashing off into the bedroom to get dressed.

A smile stole across Ren's face as he watched her skip away, his heart racing. Sometimes, he felt as though he would just burst with how much he loved her. All of her.

Since he had first met young Kyoko, he knew a bond existed between them. Kindred spirits, lost to the abyss of loneliness. And he had also come to admire the way she still tried so hard to push on through, while he himself had given up. Kyoko had made him want to try harder to get along with his father, and her belief in him had driven him to pursue acting so that Ren could surpass him. He owed her so much. He had loved her so much.

It was more friendly back then, back when he only saw her as a kind child. But he had loved her honestly.

Had she felt something similar?

He had never thought to ask her what her feelings had been towards Korn before. Since seeing her portray his younger self, he had wondered about it, however. She had acted so close to the mark! Was it merely because she was a talented actress, or because had she been observing him so closely back then? It was odd to think that a child could have understood him so well that she could mirror him so accurately. How has Kyoko dug so deeply under his skin while still in grade school? Maybe they were fated to be together.

But he would never really know. This realization made him slump against the counter. He was Tsuruga Ren, not Korn or Kuon. Not anymore. It was highly unlikely that he would ever be able to tell her everything, about his past and their entwined childhood. How would she react upon finding out he was a sham? Although he was never fake with her, he was a phony to the world. Hiding behind his pretentious mask for years as he fooled everyone into loving him. Would such a thing make her hate him?

Yet, she deserved the truth.

He had to tell her.

And soon.

"Ren? Are you ready?" Kyoko poked her head out of the room as she wiggled into her jacket, her eyes finding the wall clock.

Ren nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."

She ducked back into the room then.

In a flash, he pulled out his cell phone and was dialing a very familiar number. It rang many times before he was directed to voicemail. Not wanting to alert Kyoko in the other room, he lowered his voice to a sharp whisper. "Lory, we need to talk. Tonight. Clear your schedule later. I'll be over right after work. I can't keep this from her any longer, and she deserves to know who I am. And I deserve to know if Kyoko will still love me after she sees I'm not who everyone thinks I am." With that he snapped the phone shut, clasping it tightly in his hand.

Thankfully, he was able to compose his face before Kyoko emerged from the room. He wrapped his arm around her waist, giving a little squeeze.

The gesture worried her a bit, though. Kyoko was used to Ren holding her tightly, clearly showing he wasn't going to let her go. But now, he was holding her so softly, as if she was shatter like a glass figurine. Like he was afraid he would hurt her. "Ren?" Kyoko tugged on his sleeve, a tiny frown on her face. "Is something wrong?"

He sighed. "Don't worry yourself. I was just… also thinking about my past." He shook his head at her questioning look. "I'll explain later," he promised as he opened the passenger door of his car for her and offered his hand to help her in. He couldn't help himself for place a kiss on her tiny hand, not wanting to let her go. In the back of his mind, a voice whispered for her release and freedom. Once he did let her hand go, a sense of aching took over him.

He didn't want to be without her.

Not again. Not ever.

* * *

_A/n 2.0: Just so you all know, the second part to this story will be a bit short. The main part of the story is told, so the rest I will just be making up as I go along. If you have any suggestions, please send them in a comment. The same goes if you want to ask for more lemons. :O_

_I plan on updating about every two-three days. So keep a look out!_


	11. Part 11

_A/n: This fist bit is a scene from Daiboken. Some people have been asking for it, so here it is._

* * *

_A lone figure walked the now-empty halls of the junior high, his thoughts clearly else wear by the dazed look on his face. He was young, clearly. Far too young to be a teacher, at least. The suit he wore, while prim and neat, somehow made him look even younger, which was clearly not what the man was going for._

_"Kimichan-sensei!"_

_The man barely had time to turn around before a blur of auburn and blue sprung up at him. With an "oof" sound, he was grounded. He opened his eyes wearily, already knowing what to expect to find. Although he had predicted who he would find laying on top of him, he still groaned when her petite face came into focus._

_"Kimichan-sensei, are you okay?" Nadeshiko worked herself into a sitting position, but made sure she sat on his chest, pinning him. "Oh jeez! Jeez! I'm sorry! I was just so excited to see you-"_

_"Kimichi."_

_"Huh? Did the fall give you a concussion? My name is Nadeshiko, remember?" A worried look took over her face as she regarded the man. "You're Kimichi."_

_Despite himself, he grinned. "Yes, I know what my name is; I wasn't sure if you did."_

_The girl blinked rapidly, understanding coming to her. "Oh! Well, I just thought that 'Kimichan' was much cuter then Kimichi." She scooted back until she was in his lap, allowing Touya to sit up._

_He pressed his forehead to hers, sighing. "Be that as it may," he chastised playfully, tangling his hand in her loose locks. "I would prefer to be called by my actual name. Most men cringe at being called 'cute', as it is." He brought the strands of hair to his mouth, kissing it gently. "You wore your hair lose today," Touya comment idly, pushing the hair behind her ear._

_Nadeshiko giggled quietly, an uncharacteristically shy look on her face as his hand stroked her cheek. "Um… well, I remembered that you liked my hair loose. You said it a few weeks ago. So I, uh, left it down." She lifted her face. "Is it not becoming for me?"_

_A gentle smile graced his face. "Nadeshiko, you look beautiful no matter what you do. You could have just woken up, and you'd still be the most enchanting woman in the world, bed head and all," he added, ruffling her hair._

_"Hey!"_

_"Now, kindly stand up. Not only have we found ourselves to be in a very compromising position, but my legs are also going numb."_

_She immediately jumped to her feet, smoothing down her uniform skirt. Clasping her hands behind her back, Nadeshiko turned away from the man as he got to his feet. "Well, despite your habit of ruining romantic moments carelessly, you also happen to be very important to me, Touya," she whispered, dropping their student/teacher pretenses suddenly. But, as quick as it was there, she reverted to Nadeshiko, the student, again. "Anyway, I meant to ask you something before, Kimichan-sensei! What are you doing here so late? School let out almost two hours ago! Were you grading papers?"_

_He nodded his head. "Unfortunately. Exams are a while away, but we teachers are being pressured to pile on the tests while we can. It's supposed to prepare you all for the real exams." Keeping a careful distance between himself and the girl, he came to her side, gesturing for them to start moving. "What about yourself, Nakamura-san? Shouldn't you be home as well?"_

_"Not yet. I had volleyball practice until an hour ago. Then I wanted to wander around, wasting time until I have to go to cram school." She made a face, slowing her pace clearly in an attempt to put off cram school a bit longer. "I don't even know why I'm still going, actually. High school entrance exams are in two years. And I'm the only first year in my class! Everyone there gives me odd looks and ask why I'm there all the time," she whined._

_"The entrance exams are very important to your future. You will, no doubt, be the most prepared for them come your third year." He opened the door that let into the shoe room, holding it for Nadeshiko to pass first. "What is your ranking for your year, Nakamura-san?"_

_She sank to the floor beside her cubby, removing her shoes. "I am 2nd in my year, actually. Soishi-san has the top spot, but I'm not really looking to take it away from her. The rankings just seem pointless to me," she stated nonchalantly, standing up once she had switched out her shoes and flung her bag over her shoulder._

_Touya raised an eyebrow. "That's not a good attitude to take. Grades are very important, and you are a very good student. If you put in a little more effort-"_

_"For what? It's not like I'm going to high school anyway."_

_Touya froze, shocked. "What are you saying? Of course you're going. With your grades, you could get into the best school in the area, if you wanted. And then the next step is collage-"_

_"Just stop it!"_

_Touya did just that, staring are the tiny girl with a confused expression, unsure of the sudden change in atmosphere. Nadeshiko had her face turned away from him, but he could clearly tell she was upset. Her fists were clenched and her whole frame was shaking violently. "Nakamura-san?"_

_Without warning, she spun on the spot to face him. He had expected her to be angry; he hadn't expected her to be crying. "I'm so tired of having to pretend. At school, I pretend that you're just my teacher. At home, I pretend I'm a good daughter. At cram school, I pretend I give a care about higher education. That's not me, Touya!"_

_"Why don't you want to go to-"_

_"Because I had hoped to be your wife by then!" Her voice shook, but she continued on as strongly as possible. "I have no need for school anymore. I already have my future panned out. I'll finish junior high - or maybe just this year - and then we'll be together, finally. I don't want to go to school, Touya! I just want you! I just want to be with you!"_

_"Oh, Nadeshiko-"_

_"If I go to school further, I still will have to pretend. And then I won't be able to be with you! And then- and then you'll move on! You'll meet some other woman, one you can actually be with without fear of losing your job, and you will forget about me!"_

_In a sudden motion, Touya swept Nadeshiko into his arms. "Don't be so foolish. I could never forget about you. And I am willing to wait for you, Nadeshiko."_

_Crying into his shirt, she responded, "You shouldn't have to. If anyone were to find out, your career would be over, Touya. They… they won't approve."_

_"Last I checked," he slowly replied, lowering his head into her mop of bronze curls, "I didn't ask for their approval. As long as our relationship doesn't interfere with my job and your education, they cannot say a thing. Right?"_

_Nadeshiko sniffed, wiping her silly tears away. "The age of consent for females is 16. As is the acceptable age of marriage." This was her way of reminding him of the first part of her fit. The part about becoming his bride._

_Touya nodded slightly. He pulled her face into his hands, staring into her sharp, emerald eyes. "Very well then. But, let's push that thought away for a bit later, Nadeshiko. And as for high school, at least consider it. You're a very bright girl and I'd hate to think you threw away your intelligence for me."_

_Consenting, she nodded. "One condition." She paused, looking up at him from under her eyelashes. "I want you to kiss me. For real. Not like you have been."_

_"Nadeshiko." There was a warning tone in his voice, frustrated yet underlining a sense of want. Torment was written across his face as he gazed upon the girl. "You know very well why I can't."_

_"Please," she asked, not daring to let her eyes leave his face._

_Her plea caught in her throat as he leaned his head in, closing the gap between them. It was obvious that she was barely breathing at this point, her large green eyes closing as Touya inched forward slowly. Very slowly. Perhaps too slow for the girl, for she sighed. Her body shook with anticipation, something he acknowledged with a smirk. Slowly, her hands ran up his torso, exploring, before they locked around his neck. He brought his face lower to hers, quickly closing the distance between their lips. Touching, but not quite touching, as if hesitant to let their lips collide. Now both of their breaths were coming out in hoarse, rapid fashions as the proximity caught up to both of them. And then they kissed._

* * *

"Good work you two."

Mogami Kyoko sighed aloud, unwrapping herself from Ren's arms. "That was a long scene," She commented idly as she straightened the collar of his shirt - the one she had mussed up in the heat of the moment. In truth, even she couldn't tell if all that - that kiss - had just been acting. She tended to lose herself into her character, yes, but that hadn't been the case this time. No, that kiss had been all Kyoko, with just a splash of Nadeshiko.

Ren buried his face in her neck, drawing her back to him in one quick motion. "You won't hear me complaining."

"Because you are more of a professional?" Kyoko asked with a chuckle in her voice. Her chuckle turned to a gasp as he kissed her lightly against the skin there.

"Oh, trust me, this has nothing to do with professionalism."

"I conquer," A third voice chipped in, making both Ren and Kyoko groan. Yashiro clicked his tongue as he joined the couple on stage, his eyes flashing deviously. "Come now, I expect more of the two of you. Just because you've finished shooting, it doesn't mean that you are not still on a job." He tapped his watch. "I need Ren out of costume, and soon. We have a meeting with Lory, apperently. He called me earlier to set it up. And Kyoko-chan, I happen to know a certain friend of yours who has been calling you nonstop. I'd wager it's important." He dug into his coat pocket, retrieving a plastic bag with a silver phone in it. Sure enough, a red light was visibly blinking. "Don't stay up too late, missy. You have an early shooting tomorrow for that commercial. We can't have you over sleeping," he added, tossing her the tiny package.

She caught it in good graces. "Thank you, Yashiro-kun." As she began going through her missed alerts, she commented, "By the way, when did you start managing my schedule, too? I could have sworn you were Ren's manager, not mine."

Ren coughed into his hand, poorly masking a chuckle.

Yashiro glared at him before turning back to the auburn-haired teen. "I manage Ren's life. And now you are a part of it. So, you're my charge by association." He cast a quick glance at his watch again. "Now, my charges, go to your respective dressing rooms." He gently nudged them both, shooing them towards the rooms behind the stage.

Kyoko giggled. "As you command." She reached for Ren's hand, their fingers locking automatically as she tugged him along. Kyoko sped her pace up, rolling her eyes as Ren stumbled a bit. "He's awfully impatient today."

"Yes, well, a lot of things have been going on at the agency," Ren responded. "I'd expect Yashiro has been having a rough few days. We should try to make it easy on him."

Ren and Kyoko separated briefly when they reached the dressing rooms. But they quickly returned to their embrace once they were dressed in their normal clothes. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, steering her towards the parking lot. "Where are we dropping you off? At home?"

She sighed, looking at her cell phone. "If you're going to be in meeting with Lory, I might as well head to the Darumaya. I can get some work done tonight." She always felt guilty when she had to take days off from her job there, even though it couldn't be avoided nowadays. Of course, the Okami and Taisho completely understood, but that only made the guilt worse. The work ethic that had been pounded into her from such a young age demanded some kind of punishment for her unreliability, yet she had not received so much as a scolding. It upset her greatly.

Ren said nothing. Secretly, he had been hoping she would leave that job soon - and her apartment along with it. But he didn't want to pressure her with proposing the idea. Perhaps it was too forward of him to ask her to move in completely anyway. Especially if things didn't work out after she learned of his secret. "If you're sure."

Yashiro was waiting for them inside the car, so they let the conversation drop. All too soon, the Darumaya was in sight. Ren, being the gentleman he was, decided to work her to the door, despite Yashiro's chiding.

Kyoko shrugged out of Ren's jacket, handing it to him once they reached the door. "What will you be talking to Lory about anyway? A new job?"

Ren's smile was secretive as he folded the jacket over his arm. "Not quite. If all goes well, I'll be telling you about it tomorrow, okay?" She accepted that with a nod. "Is it okay if I call you when I get in?"

"Of course." Kyoko hugged him around his middle and kissed him light on the lips when he ducked his head to her height. "Now, hurry along before Yashiro has a heart attack."

But Ren had other ideas. He wrapped his arms under her, lifting her so that her feet dangled a good foot and a half in the air. Before she could protest, Ren was kissing Kyoko passionately, as if it would be their last – which he feared it could be. Then, any objections she may have had floated out of her head as she returned the kiss with gusto. And Kyoko pouted when he placed her back on the ground, their mouths disconnecting. He replied by kissing her again quickly. "I'm sorry, I really should go now. Now, pleasant dreams, Kyoko."

She made a dramatic sigh. "I doubt I'll be able to sleep at all. My bed's going to feel strangely empty tonight."

Ren grinned. "My bed will be the same way, but it's only for tonight." _Hopefully_, he added to himself, his smile falling slightly. "Talk to you later."

Kyoko waved him off with a sad smile. And only once the car was out of sight did she make her way into the Darumaya.


	12. Part 12

_A/n: I decided to post this chapter next, completely skipping over he one I had written where Ren tells Kyoko his secret. I just couldn't get the feel of it right, so this seemed to be the best route. And yeah, this chapter is a bit late, but I'm on vacation and my laptop kinda freaked out, so I had a hell of a time trying to find this installment. Urgh. _

"Father!" A wide grin spread over Kyoko's face as she finally spotted Kuu. I can't believe it's been so long. I've really missed him. She waved her hand wildly, catching the curious glances of the media who had gathered to see Kuu's homecoming. Many eyes widened as they recognized her, the girl who had stolen the most eligible bachelor, but Kyoko could careless. The only man who had ever felt like anything to a father for her was roughly ten feet away. She had missed him more then she had realized.

Kuu came to a halt a few feet away, his eyes appraising her. "My, how you've grown."

Kyoko smiled widely, greeting him with a deep bow.

He raised an eyebrow, dropping his bag to the floor. "Come now; is that anyway to greet your father?" Kuu gestured to her to come to him and greet him properly.

Feeling suddenly shy, Kyoko inched towards him with her head ducked. In a burst of sudden courage, she jumped at him, wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she hung half a foot in the air, hugging him tightly as her excitement in seeing him overwhelmed her common sense.

But Kuu didn't mind. He hugged her back in kind and even kissed the top of her head. "It's so very good to see you again, daughter."

She pulled back letting her feet return to the floor, laughing. "Oh, I'm your 'daughter' now? If I recall correctly, even when you emailed me, you called me your 'other son', Father."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders while picking up his bag with his other hand, glaring at her all the while. "Don't sass me, young lady. And, as it is, I doubt you'd ever be asked to play a male role anymore," Kuu teased lightly as his eyes shimmered with pride, flicking her nose. "You've become quite a beautiful young woman. _He_ sure is lucky."

Kyoko had to bite her tongue, not sure what to say. It was a delicate situation.

Luckily, she was spared from having to answer, as the press took this opportunity - now over their shock at seeing such a strange greeting between the two - to converse about them as they walked towards their limo. Kuu drew Kyoko closely to his side and steered her on as his bodyguards tried to fan away the reporters. A fair few tried to break through the threshold, but none where successful. Still, this didn't stop them from shouting out questions for Kuu, and Kyoko alike.

Kyoko had been curious as to what Kuu told the reporters after the last time they saw each other and the scene they had made as he departed from the airport - how had he explained some newcomer girl calling him father in public? But he had told her not to worry about it, so she had let it go. She trusted Kuu, and she hadn't been approached by reporters about it since the incident, so she knew he had taken care of it somehow.

"Your wife couldn't come with you on this trip?" Kyoko asked once they were safely in the limo. She had been quite curious about the infamous Julia she had heard so much about - though the source had shocked her greatly at the time. She wasn't sure what was more shocking: hearing how an actual mother should be or hearing _him_ talk so fondly of his mother - it seemed so out of character. Both were new to her, and had compelled her to ask more about Kuu's wife. Her curiosity, however, melted into concern as Kuu stared at her blankly. Confused, Kyoko asked, "What's wrong, Father?"

But merely Kuu scoffed, an edge of his old self that had once annoyed her so much emerging. "Don't address her as 'your wife'," he reprimanded, shaking a finger at her. "That's disrespectful. When you do meet her, I expect you to call her Mother, or at the very least, Julie. Is that clear?"

She giggled, but nodded none-the-less. "Yes sir!"

"Speaking of spouses, do you plan on honoring me with a meeting with your _boyfriend_, daughter?"

Kyoko turned a shade of pink. _I have to go along with this for Ren's sake. I won't blow this_. She took a few deep breaths before answering as normally as possible. "It seems like an awful amount of trouble to arrange. Why do you want to meet him, anyway? You have met him before," Kyoko pointed out, replaying the incident in her head. She crossed her legs under her skirt and turned her gaze out the window. _Maybe I can make it easier on both of them, arranging it so they don't have to met face to face during Kuu's stay here._ _This whole thing must be hard on them, I imagine._

"True, but I've never met him as 'Tsuruga Ren: my daughter's boyfriend'," he reminded her, forcefully destroying any hopes that she could wiggle her way out of this. "This will be our first real meeting, you silly girl. As your father, don't I even have to give my approval or something?"

Kyoko kept her face turned away to hide her slight smile. "Though I don't see how him being my boyfriend will make any difference, you are right." Still, she had to admit she was a bit worried about these two important men in her life meeting for the 'first time'.

It wasn't that she thought Kuu wouldn't approve of Ren - hark; the idea of someone not approving of Tsuruga Ren was laughable - but rather, she was worried about how they would react under the given situations. And she was worried she might let something slip and let Kuu know she was in on the big secret now. As far as Kuu knew, the only ones who knew Ren's true identity, were Ren, Julie, Lory, a make-up artist, and Kuu himself.

Yes, she now she too was in on the truth about Tsuruga Ren, or rather, Kuon. Or even more familiarly, Korn.

Shock had been her primary reaction at first, naturally. How was one supposed to act when learning that their boyfriend was their old friend turned sorta-sibling turned lover? It was a head spinner (mostly the "sorta-sibling" part) but Kyoko was able to listen quietly as Ren explained how Tsuruga Ren came into existence. Parts of it were familiar to her having heard them as Bo, such as his not too successful career in America, but she patiently sat through it, excited that Ren could open up to her. As far as she knew, this had to be the biggest secret in the history of show business, and the fact that he would trust her with it - with himself, in a way - meant everything to her.

She knew she should be hurt that Ren would keep this from her for so long, would keep their friendship and similar connection to Kuu hushed, but she found that she completely understood his reasoning. How would she have reacted if she had learned that Ren used to be her friend? Would it have changed their relationship in anyway? If so, then Kyoko felt it was better off that she was kept in the dark. And about Kuu… well, that was a private family matter in her eyes, and thus, none of her business. But if it was a family matter, did that mean that Ren counted her as close as family now? Like, a fiancée or wife? The thought was mind-boggling, and very blush-worthy.

But this, of course, led things in a round about way back to her current issue of Ren and Kuu meeting. Would it be awkward: no doubt. This was in some way a meeting between a woman's father and their new boyfriend AND a meeting between a man's father and their new girlfriend. Plenty confusing. But, Ren had told her to not worry about that thought too much; "After all," he had teased, "he already allows you to call him father. I think that means he approves of you."

Kyoko raised an eyebrow as familiar scenery caught her attention. It was still pretty early in the day so the sun was just raising, lighting the area up splendidly. Father?" she asked warily. "I thought we were going to your apartment to get you settled in. Why are we headed to the northern part of Tokyo?"

Kuu flipped a card between his fingers with a crooked grin. "Actually, I thought it would be more fun to go out to eat right now. As soon as my plane landed, I called Lory and asked him to reserve us a table at a favorite restaurant of mine. Also, I've had him call Tsuruga-san to tell him where to meet us. I hope you won't mind me going around your back by inviting him." He pulled his sunglasses onto the top of his head, giving her a look that said 'complain, I dare you'. When she didn't say anything, he fell back on track. "Now, tell me a bit about this guy before we get there."

"What do you want to know," she hedged, suspicious.

"Oh, I don't know. Basic stuff. Things you think a father should know about his child's boyfriend."

Kyoko bit her lip, thinking. In truth, she had no experience in this department, so she was drawing a blank. What did a father want to know about the guy his daughter was dating? Career? Criminal records? Hobbies? "You've met him. I'm sure you could tell he is an even-tempered person and very polite. He's kind and supportive; a wonderful boyfriend. I'm not sure what else you want to know," she admitted with a sigh.

Kuu stroked his chin. "Fine then. We'll dig right into your relationship with. My first question: are you living together?"

"Partially. I still live at my other job, but I also live at Ren's apartment," Kyoko explained hastily.

"Then..." Kuu paused. It made Kyoko feel even more nervous. "Are you sharing a bed with him?"

"Father!" Kyoko shrieked aloud, her face completely red. "How can you ask me that! It's so personal!"

"A father has to know," he replied roughly with a shrug. "You're both adults so these things must be asked. If you don't tell me, then I'll be forced to ask him, you know. Now, are you sleeping with him?"

Kyoko, mortified beyond words, could only nod. The very idea of Kuu asking Ren something like that, while in the middle of a crowded restaurant, was the stuff of nightmares. Besides, you never knew who could be listening in a place like that. That was something she would never allow to leak to the public; their relationship was already a scandal because she was in high school, so throwing in her lost virginity would be adding fuel to the fire.

Kuu grunted. "Are you at least being careful?"

"I hope you're getting these questions out of you system," Kyoko whispered fiercely. "Don't you dare ask Ren things like this when you see him. Yes, we are being 'careful'. I'm on the pill, and he," she took a deep breath before finishing in an embarrassed, low tone, "he wears a condom." After the first time, something heated and spontaneous that left no time for thoughts of responsibility, they were always sure to be protected. A pregnancy would not help matters. "Are you happy now?"

"Almost. Now how often-"

"No, stop right there. Not even a parent should know that." Kyoko crossed her arms, glaring at Kuu.

He relented, figuring he had pressed the matter enough for now. "Have the two of you talked about anything more permanent? Such as you moving into his apartment? Or… marriage?"

If Kyoko had been drinking something, she knew it would end up being spat out of her mouth at that. Her eyes wide, she replied, "We've only been together for a month, Father. Isn't it a bit early to be thinking like that?"

He sighed in relief. "My point exactly. I just had to make sure. Julie… was curious about that one."

"Ah." Kyoko left it at that, not thinking it wise to point out that Julie had never even met her. She could hardly be asking about the prospect of marriage for Kyoko's sake. But for Ren's sake, on the other hand…

Finally, they arrived at the restaurant, a fancy little place that Kyoko would have never dreamed of it eating at before. Elaborately decorated to the point of overkill, it looked more like a palace then a place to eat. From the tight security outside of the place, she had a hunch that only the elite dined here. Slowly, Kyoko was starting to get used to places such as this, for they came along with the territory of dating the most famous man in all of Japan.

Thankfully, the meal was a quiet affair. Kuu was polite and asked only simple questions of Ren, much to Kyoko's relief. The chatter between the two men, while polite, was clearly unnatural and somewhat forced. Well, on Ren's part, at least. This was what Kyoko had worried about the most.

Since Kuu counted Kyoko as his daughter, Ren - the Ren how was not in any way connected to Kuu - had to maintain the guise of trying to become friendly with him. But, since he was also Kuon, Kuu's son, he had to prevent himself from getting too close to Kuu or else risk slipping out of his Tsuruga Ren persona and becoming his old self. If this happened, if even for a second, Ren's whole career would be forfeit, he had explained to Kyoko.

Kyoko didn't understand that part so much, but she knew it was important for Ren to keep his two selves separate. So this was another reason to be nervous about how the men would get along.

As she watched them interact, however, she couldn't help but be struck by their acting. Kuu clearly missed his son from the way he had behaved the last time he was in Japan, even going so far as to have Kyoko act out how she thought his son would act. Yet, he was still able to treat Ren as a stranger then, and even now, it seemed as if he was just getting to know him. This was a bit true, as Kuu only knew Kuon, not Ren, but still. And Ren, who seemed torn to Kyoko about what he did to his parents and how he had caused them such worry, still could pretend that everything was fine and well. These two men, legends of acting, acting right in front of her, inspired awe from then teenage girl. And she pledged to try even harder to improve her own skills, she promised herself as a smile played along her face.

When Ren asked her what she was smiling so much about as he drove her back to his apartment, she only leaned over and kissed him. "I'm just so proud of how you handled yourself, and Kuu too. I'm glad then two men I love the most were able to get along, is all." And then she had to kiss him again.


End file.
